UNCLASSIFIED - C4rrent Class SECRET Current Handling EHDIS Document Number 1976BUEN0503460 SECRET PAGE 01 BUENOS 03460 01 0F 02 2513442 43 ACTEON 88-25 INFO 550 00 026 065165 2511562 MAY 76 FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5774 SECTION 1 OF 2 BUENOS AIRES 3460 EXDIS E O 11652 GDS TAGS PTNT PGOV AR SUBJECT CONVERSATION WITH UNDERSECRETARY OF THE PRESIDENCY 1 ON MAY 21 AMBASSADOR HILL THE MINISTER AND THE POLITICAL COUNSELOR HAD LUNCH WITH DR RICARDO YOFRE THE UNDERSECRETARY GENERAL OF THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENCY GIVEN BELOW ARE THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE CONVERSATION 2 AMBASSADOR HILL OPENED THE CONVERSATION BY SAXING THE US WAS VERY CONCERNED OVER THE HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUE ESPECIALLY IN THE WAKE OF THE MICHELINI AND GUTIERREZ RUIZ KIDNAPPINGS ACCORDING TO YOFRE VIDELA AND HIS STAFF WERE SHOCKED BY THE KIDNAPPINGS AND ARE TRYING TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF THE QUESTION YOFRE ALSO SAID VIDELA HAD PLANNED TO HOLD A PRESS CONFERENCE ON WEDNESDAY MAY 26 BUT THAT THIS MIGHT NOW BE POSTPONED IN ORDER TO HAVE BETTER HOLD ON THE SITUATION AND TO BE ABLE TO MAKE A MORE DEFINITIVE STATEMENT REGARDING THE SITUATION OF THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN DETAINED SINCE MARCH 24 BY NEXT WEEK YOFRE SAID IT IS PLANNED A TO RELEASE MANY OF THOSE CSRRENTLY B TO BE READY TO PUBLISH A COMPLETE LIST OF THOSE DETAINED YOFRE NOTED THAT ALTHOUGH THE NAVY HAD DRUG ITS FEET IT GIVEN VIDELA A ROSTER OF THE PRISONERS BEING HELD ABOARD THE SHIPS IN THE C TO BE READY TO ANNOUNCE SPEEDY TRIALS FOR THOSE WHOSE INVESTIGATIONS ARE D TO ANNOUNCE SEVERAL NEW MEASURES OF UNDER WHICH THOSE WHO ARE KNOWN TO BE GUILTY OF CRIMES AGAINST THE STATE BUT AGAINST WHOM THERE IS INSUFFICIENT SECRET SECRET Current Class SECRET UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE 23 JUN 2004 200401086 UNCLASSIFIED Page 1 IN FULL -s Page 1 UNCLASSIFIED a CHrrent Class SECRET Page 2 Current Handling EXDIS Document Number 1976BUEN0803460 Channel n a RAGE 02 BUENOS 03460 01 OF 02 2513443 EVIDENCE WILL BE PUNISHED BY SUCH MEASURES AS HAVING THEIR POLITICAL RIGHTS SUSPENDED FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS 3 DR YOFRE CALLED ATTENTION TO RECENT TO THE OTHER UNDER WHICH HE HAS LUNCHED WITH A NUMBER OF SCIENTISTS WRITERS AND WITH EX-FOREIGN MINISTERS SUCH AS HIPOLITO PAZ A PERONIST MIGUEL ANGEL ZAVALA ORTIE FOREIGN MINISTER PABLO PARDO AND OTHERS ALSO AS PART OF THIS- VIDELA HAS APPOINTED OSCAR CAMILION MID AMBASSADOR TO BRAZIL AMERICO GHIOLDI PSD AMBASSADOR TO SWEDEN HECTOR HIDALGO SOLA OCR AMBASSADOR TO VENEZUELA AND LEOPOLDO BRAVO BLOQUISTA TO THE SOVIET UNION YOFRE SAID THE NEW AMBASSADOR TO WASHINGTON HAD NOT YET BEEN CONFIRMED BUT THAT A DECISION WOULD PROBABLY BE MADE WITHIN THE NEXT FEW DAYS HE CONFIRMED THAT ARNOLDO MUSITCH HAS THE INSIDE TRACK YOFRE ASKED IF I OPENING HAS BEEN NOTED IN THE UNITED STATES AND BY US NEWSMEN HERE AND IF SO WHETHER OR NOT IT HAS REASSURED THEM REGARDING THE MODERATE POLICIES 4 THE POLITICAL COUNSELOR ANSWERED THAT THE OPENING HAS BEEN NOTED BOTH BY THE EMBASSY AND BY US NEWSMEN HOWEVER HE SAID HE DOUBTED NEWSMEN WERE REASSURED AND HE RELATED A CONVERSATION WITH A KEY US JOURNALIST IN WHICH THE LATTER HAD CONCLUDED THAT LUNCHES WITH REPS OF OTHER SECTORS AND HIS APPOINTMENT OF POLITICAL PARTY FIGURES TO AMBASSADORSHIPS SIMPLY UNDERLINED OWN IN THE EYES OF THE CORRESPONDENT THEY DID NOT INDICATE THAT VIDELA COULD CONTROL THE HARDLINERS THIS THE POLITICAL COUNSELOR SAID SEEMS TO BE THE QUESTION FOREMOST IN THE MINDS OF MANY OBSERVERS EVERYONE RECOGNIZES THAT VIDELA HIMSELF IS A SINCERE DECENT AND MODERATE MAN BUT THERE ARE MANY IN THE ARMED FORCES WHO WANT MORE DRASTIC SOLUTIONS AND WHO OBVIOUSLY ARE NOT OVER MODERATE APPROACH CAN HE CONTROL SUCH 5 YOFRE ADMITTED THAT VIDELA IS HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE HARDLINERS BUT STATED CATERORICALLY THAT VIDELA CAN AND WILL CONTROL THEM YOFRE NOTED THAT STYLE IS NOT ONE OF FRONTAL HENCE HE IS MANEUVERING BEHIND THE SCENE AND IS WAITING FOR AN APPROPRIATE MOMENT TO ASSERT HIMSELF HE WANTS TO CONTROL THE HARDLINERS BUT HE WISHES TO DO 80 IN SUCH SPLIT THE ARMED FORCES WIDE OPEN SECRET SECRET PAGE 03 BUENOS 03460 01 OF 02 2513442 Current Class SECRET Page 2 UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED Curfent Class SECRET 'x Page 3 Current Handling EXDIS Document Number 1976BUENOSOS46O Channel n a 6 DR YOFRE NOTED THAT THERE ARE TWO DISTINCT COMPLICATIONS IN CHECKING THE HARDLINERS AND IN BRINGING THE HUMAN RIGHTS PROBLEM UNDER CONTROL A THE FIRST IS THAT THE COUNTRY IS IN AN ALL-OUT WAR AGAINST SUBVERSION IN THE HEAT OF BATTLE THERE WILL INEVITABLY BE SOME VIOLATIONS OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND YOFRE WANRED THAT THE GOVERNMENT PLANS TO DRASTICALLY STEP UP ITS CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE TERRORISTS VERY SHORTLY B SECONDLY HE SAID THERE ARE A NUMBER OF GROUPS WHO ARE OPERATING ON THEIR OWN VIOELA AND HIS STAFF HAVE NOT YET BEEN ABLE TO DETERMINE WHETHER THESE ROUPS ARE OPERATING FROM WITHIN THE GOVERNMENT OR FROM OUTSIDE WHATEVER THE CASE IT IIS CLEAR THAT THESE GROUPS ARE OPERATING IN VIOLATION OF THE POLICIES AND MAY HAVE AS ONE OF THEIR OBJECTIVES TO UNDERMINE THE IMAGE AND POSITION OF THE PRESENT GOVERNMENT THE THEN IS THAT THEY ARE HARDLINERS WHO WOULD LIKE NOTHING BETTER THAN TO EMBARRASS THE PRESENT GOVERNMENT IT WAS DOUBTLESS SUCH A GROUP THAT WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MICHELINI KIDNAPPING AND MURDER YOFRE SAID HE CONCLUDED THAT THE GOVERNMENT MUST GET TO THE BOTTOM OF THE QUESTION AND BRING SUCH GROUPS UNDER CONTROL SECRET SECRET PAGE 01 BUENOS 03460 02 OF 02 2514062 43 ACTION 88-25 INFO OCT-01 ISO-00 880-00 026 '065415 2511563 MAY 76 FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5775 SECTION 2 OF 2 BUENOS AIRES 3460 EXDIS 7 INTERESTINGLY DR YOFRE ADMITTED THAT THERE ARE SERIOUS PROBLEMS BETWEEN THE ARMY AND THE NAVY HE NOTED FOR EXAMPLE THAT THE NAVY HAS ARRESTED A NUMBER OF PEOPLE WITHOUT INFORMING THE ARMY HE SPECIFICALLY REFERRED TO PROBLEMS BETWEEN THE FOREIGN MINISTRY WHICH IS UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE NAVY AND THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENCY WHICH VIDELA CONTROLS HIMSELF YOFRE VOICED THE OPINION THAT THE NAVY WAS MAKING A MESS OF Current Class SECRET Page 3 UNCLASSIFIED I Curfent Class SECRET Page 4 Current Handling EXDIS Document Number 1976BUENOSO3460 Channel n a THINGS IN THE FOREIGN MINISTRY AND THAT NAVAL OFFICERS UNDER ADMIRAL GUZZETTI THE FOREIGN MINISTER ARE SHOWING SIGNS OF PETTY JEALOUSY AND VINDICTIVENESS TOWARDS MEMBERS OF THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENCY BY WAY OF ILLUSTRATION YOFRE CLAIMED THAT THE NAVAL OFFICERS WHO ARE REORGANIZING THE MINISTRY ARE TRYING TO GET RID OF HIS LAW PARTNER ARNOLDO LISTRE CURRENTLY ARGENTINE MINISTER-COUNSELOR TO THE OAS ACCORDING TO YOFRE HE NAVY IS TAKING THE POSITION THAT LISTRE IS A DANGEROUS LEFTIST IN FACT HOWEVER YOFRE NOTED REAL SIN IS THAT HE IS A CLOSE FRIEND OF AND THUS HAS AN WITH THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENCY THIS MAKES THE NAVY NERVOUS NOTE LISTRE IS WELL KNOWN TO EMBOFFS HE IS A RESPECTED AND MODERATE MEMBER THE UCR WE WOULD THEREFORE AGREE WITH ANALYSIS 8 AMBASSADOR HILL INDICATED THAT RELATIONS BETWEEN OUR TWO GOVERNMENTS ARE EXCELLENT BUT THAT WE ARE HAVING SOME PROBLEMS OF COMMUNICATION HE SUGGESTED THEREFORE THAT YOFRE MIGHT SERVE A VERY USEFUL PURPOSE IF HE WERE WILLING TO ACT AS A CONDUIT BETWEEN THE EMBASSY AND PRESIDENT VIDELAJ WE FREQUENTLY HAVE VIEWS AND INFORMATION WHICH MIGHT SE OF INTEREST TO THE PRESIDENT AMBASSADOR HILL NOTED BUT WE OF COURSE DID NOT SECRET SECRET PAGE 02 BUENOS 03460 02 OF 02 2514063 WISH TO BOTHER THE PRESIDENT HIMSELF IF WE COULD PASS SUCH INFORMATION THROUGH YOFRE AND YOFRE IN TURN COULD PASS TO US ANY VIEWS OR IMPRESSIONS WHICH THE PRESIDENT WOULD LIKE TO CALL TO OUR ATTENTION IT COULD BE MOST HELPFUL 9 YOFRE AGREED THAT THIS WAS AN EXCELLENT IDEA AND SAID HE WOULD SUGGEST IT TO PRESIDENT VIDELA IMMEDIATELY HE NOTED THAT PERHAPS AS THE FIRST PIECE OF INFORMATION TO PASS THROUGH THE PIPELINE THE PRESIDENT WOULD BE INTERESTED IN KNOWING WHETHER OR NOT GENERAL MOTORS AND PLAN TO CLOSE DOWN THEIR PLANTS FOR A PERIOD OF TIME AMBASSADOR HILL SAID HE WOULD CHECK AND WOULD HAVE THE POLITICAL COUNSELOR CALL THAT AFTERNOON THIS WAS GENERAL MOTORS NOR DO PLAN TO CLOSE THEIR PLANTS ALTHOUGH THEY MAY HAVE TO LAY OFF SOME 10 COMMENT YOFRE IS OBVIOUSLY CONVINCED OF GOOD INTENTIONS AND BELIEVES THE LATTER IN HIS QUIET AND UNASSUMING WAY WILL BE ABLE TO CONTROL THE HAWKS AND GUARANTEE THE SURVIVAL OF THE MODERATE LINE PERHAPS HOWEVER UNLESS VIDELA IS ABLE VERY QUICKLY TO STOP THE SORT OF ACTIVITIES SUCH AS THE MICHELINI KIDNAPPING AND MURDER MOST OBSERVERS WILL CONCLUDE THAT HE HAS LOST-CONTROL OF THE SITUATION AND HIS Current Class SECRET Page 4 UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED Chri ent Class SECRET Page 5 Current Eandling EXDIS Document Number 1976BUEN0503460 Channel n a_ IMAGE WILL SUFFER AN IRRETRIEVABLE LOSS IT MAY WELL BE THAT HIS EARDLINE MICHBLINI WITH THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF EMBARRASSING PRESIDENT VIDELA BUT THAT IS ALL THE MORE REASON FOR VIDELA TO WISH TO BRING THEM IN LINE INDEED HE MUST BRING THEM UNDER CONTROL 0R THEY WILL VERY LIKELY DO IN HIS GOVT HILL SECRET Current Class 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