REPRODUCED AT THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Washington, D.C. 20520
file Argentina
Roberta B
one copy
Routed to
Shaw Smith
Rm. 6911 NS
05/19/78.
R.C.
April 7, 1977
**Department of State, A/GIS/IPS/SDR**
Change to
(✓) Release ( ) Excise ( ) Deny ( ) Declassify
Exemptions b ( ) ( ) E.O. 13526 25x ( )( )( )
Declassify after
With concurrence of:
obtained / not obt.
IPS by **DFO** Date **9-15-16**
OFFICIAL-INFORMAL
~~CONFIDENTIAL~~
Honorable Robert C. Hill
American Ambassador
American Embassy
Buenos Aires
Dear Mr. Ambassador:
The purpose of this letter is to report on Patt
Derian's conversations where Embassy officers were
not present, as well as give you a few of my own
impressions.
Our lunch with Robert Cox at the American Club was
just perfect. Patt discussed Jimmy Carter the man,
and his life-long dedication to human rights. I
think Cox recognized that the Administration's dedi-
cation to basic rights is a very genuine, long-range
commitment. Patt gave him a signed copy of the
President's United Nations' Address. (Other copies
went to Muller of the UNHCR, Timmerman of **La Opinion**,
Mrs. Justo of the Permanent Assembly and the Nuncio.
I think a sixth would have gone to Mr. Jenner of the
Red Cross had one been available.)
Cox described the horrors of the Peronist era, leftist
terrorism and the present-day situation. There was
nothing new in this although Cox is very articulate.
A few specific points:
- Solari Irigoyen's offense to the Armed Forces came
in 1972 when he publicly criticized the Trelaw Prison
killings in the aftermath of Santucho's escape to
Chile.
- Gustavo Roca was contemptible because he had pub-
lished a newspaper or magazine exalting leftist
violence.
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- Christopher Roper is a Marxist businessman.
- There is no way to confirm whether crematories exist
in Cordoba. It is the kind of horror story that has a
certain pornographic quality that people pass around
as the truth.
- Perhaps the most dangerous of the hard-line generals
is Suarez Mason. (On the other hand, Neustadt spoke
well of Suarez; perhaps because they are neighbors.)
- The American Embassy has performed well on the human
rights issue.
Our session with the Permanent Assembly was undoubtedly
the most passionate exposition of the human rights
picture which we experienced. Ninety-year-old plus
Alicia Moreau de Justo spoke with great dignity,-
lucidity and, indeed, fire. She characterized the human
rights situation as barbaric. She described an incident
which took place on March 16. Armed men invaded a home
at night where an elderly grandmother, a mother and
young daughter lived. Two young men were visiting at
the time. These thugs broke into the house, ransacked
it, stealing at will, and took everyone with them except
the older woman. The prisoners were blindfolded. At an
unknown place of detention, the mother was beaten with
rubber truncheons. She could hear her daughter's screams
in a nearby room. Finally, the mother was released at an
unknown spot (she had been blindfolded throughout her
ordeal) and she made her way home. To this day, she is
desperately trying to locate her daughter, who, to her
knowledge, is guilty of no subversive activity.
Labor leader Bravo then told the story of a family that
with much trouble was able to recover the body of a
daughter who died in prison in Cordoba. An autopsy
later revealed that two live rats had been sewn into
the girl's vagina and had torn her body apart as they
tried to get out.
Mr. Pimentel discussed the problem of habeas corpus
petitions and the intimidation of the press in connec-
tion with the publication of the writs. The La Opinion
reporter who covered the courts was kidnapped; other
papers simply ignore the subject. Pimentel described
CONFIDENTIALCONFIDENTIAL
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how the Assembly tries to document disappearances,
largely through families that inform the Assembly
of what is happening.
The Westerkampfers (he teaches physics) described
the conditions of their son's detention at Sierra
Chica: a crowded cell, confinement 23 out of 24 hours,
and no reading material. They did note that the food
improved slightly after a Red Cross visit.
Finally, Emilio Mignone told us of his daughter Monica's
disappearance and his conviction that the Navy is hold-
ing her.
We left this meeting subdued and went to the Canadian
Residence. We were briefed on the refugee "sit-in" at
the Canadian Embassy and Canada's efforts on behalf of
the refugees. Patt briefed the Ambassador on the Admin-
istration's human rights commitment and determination to
do something about the pandemic spread of repression in
the world. He told us that he was leaving the next day
for a meeting of Canadian Ambassadors to be held in
Mexico City. Human rights was to be on the agenda and,
the Ambassador continued, this conversation would be
very helpful to him in Mexico. He stated that Canada
had not pressed Argentina on the human rights issue
but that as a result of our conversation, there might be
a change. The Ambassador also mentioned that a bomb
had been discovered in an automobile very near his Resi-
dence, possibly meant for him. Our meeting with the
Canadians was very pleasant.
On Saturday morning I had breakfast with Bernardo
Neustadt. He will be spending his week in Washington
as Orfila's house guest. I promised to try to arrange
an appointment with Todman, and noted that Patt looked
forward to meeting him in Washington. Neustadt claimed
that Videla had ordered an accounting of all prisoners
in detention and that a list would be published by May.
He stated that the Army Command was holding strategy
sessions on waging the peace. He felt he would be
able to report on positive developments during his visit
to the United States. (I seem to have heard this before.)
He was very disturbed by the disappearance of Edgardo
Sajon, saying that he had heard it might be related to
CONFIDENTIAL- 4 -
the Graiver bankruptcy case. Neustadt was troubled
that the government might now be making secret eco-
nomic arrests in addition to political ones.
Our other meetings have, of course, been recorded in
Memoranda of Conversation. While we were able to
review several of these in Buenos Aires, I look for-
ward to going over these memos in more contemplative
circumstances.
What came across most clearly to me is the continuing
hope that nearly everyone we spoke to places in Videla.
People - at least most of our contacts - do not blame
him for the seemingly uncontrollable activities of the
goon squads. The Navy seems to operate secretly in an
effort to polarize the Army. It would appear that
some of the military and leftist extremists are doing
all they can to provoke a civil war. Timmerman fears
that his newspaper will be closed in some kind of
Reichstag incident, signaling a hard-line triumph. He
declared that the Montoneros would eventually win a
civil war if one took place. He, therefore, welcomed
the Carter Adminstration's efforts, including the
military credits reduction, because it had finally
stiffened the moderates and given them the courage to
face up to the hard liners. The business community,
Timmerman suggested, is at long last afraid of what the
United States might do in the economic arena and is,
therefore, backing the moderate cause.
Our sessions with the Foreign Ministry were almost
beside the point. Arlia seemed in another world. I
really sympathize for those on your staff who deal
with this Alice in Wonderland character.
I guess we must continue judging events in Argentina
with extreme caution and hope that we will take every
opportunity we can find to nurse whatever forces of
moderation exist in that tragic society.
My very best.
Sincerely,
Fernando E. Rondon
Concurrence: D/HA - Ms. Derian (in draft)NARA RG59
Lot 81D208
HA Country Files 1977
Box 2
Argentina
NW 57067 DocId:33064617 Page 5
Declassified Case: DN- 57067 Date: 05-30-2013