Office of the Historian

177. Telegram 2939 From the Embassy in Mexico to the Department of State, April 4, 1975, 2120Z.1 2

April 4, 1975, 2120Z

TELEGRAM
Department of State
MEXICO 2939

R 042120Z APR 75

FM AMEMBASSY MEXICO
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 7059
INFO USUN NEW YORK 891

MEXICO 2939

E.O. 11652: N/A
TAGS: OCON, OTRA, UN

SUBJECT: MEXICAN MISGIVINGS OVER WOMEN’S YEAR CONFERENCE (WCIWY)

1. WE HAVE INDICATIONS MEXICANS MAY BE CONCERNED THEY HAVE BITTEN OFF MORE THAN THEY CAN CHEW IN PLAYING HOSTS TO INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S YEAR CONFERENCE (WCIWY). CONCERN CENTERS AROUND LARGE NUMBERS OF U.S. “UNOFFICIAL” DELEGATES EXPECTED TO ATTEND, INCLUDING SOME REGARDED AS RADICALS AND POTENTIAL TROUBLE-MAKERS.

2. VISITING IO/OIC REP GROSSMAN PAID CALL YESTERDAY EVENING ON FONSEC LIAISON OFFICER FOR WCIWY AIDA GONZALEZ (DEPUTY DIRGEN FOR IO AFFAIRS) AND FOUND HER ANXIOUS AND HARASSED. ACCORDING TO HER CALCULATIONS, “OFFICIAL” DELEGATES WOULD NUMBER ABOUT 1480 (148 MEMBER STATES SENDING AVERAGE DELEGATION OF TEN). IN ADDITION TO THESE, GOM HAD EXPECTED ANOTHER 2000 OR SO REPRESENTATIVES OF NON-GOVERNMENTAL WOMEN’S ORGANIZATIONS TO PARTICIPATE IN PARALLEL “WOMEN’S TRIBUNE,” PLUS AT LEAST 1000 PRESS.

3. HOWEVER, GONZALEZ HAD HEARD FROM AMERICAN SOURCES THAT AS MANY AS FIVE TO SIX THOUSAND “UNOFFICIAL” DELEGATES WERE EXPECTED FROM U.S., INCLUDING SUCH “RADICAL” ELEMENTS AS BETTY FRIEDAN AND N.O.W. WHICH SHE SAID WERE PLANNING TO STAGE A “BOYCOTT” OF WCIWY HERE. GONZALEZ SAID SHE FELT STATE DEPT HAD AN OBLIGATION TO TRY TO PREVENT SUCH ELEMENTS FROM COMING TO MEXICO AND DISRUPTING CONFERENCE, AND THAT USG SHOULD ADVERTISE NATIONALLY AND WARN THAT HOTEL SPACE WOULD BE LIMITED AND GOM WOULD NOT BE ABLE PROVIDE SERVICES FOR THOSE NOT OFFICIALLY INSCRIBED. SHE ADDED THAT OF COURSE MEXICO’S BORDERS WERE OPEN TO TOURISTS AND GOM ITSELF COULD REALLY DO NOTHING TO EXCLUDE THOSE WHO WERE DETERMINED TO ATTEND.

4. COMMENT: WE STRONGLY DOUBT THAT GOM ITSELF COULD AFFORD POLITICALLY TO ACT TO DISCOURAGE ATTENDANCE AT WCIWY AND ITS PARALLEL ACTIVITIES, NO MATTER HOW BURDENSOME THE EVENT MAY BECOME FOR ITS BUREAUCRATS. IT IS INTERESTING TO US, HOWEVER, THAT THERE IS SUCH CONCERN OVER POSSIBLE DISRUPTION -- OR PERHAPS SIMPLY DISTRACTION -- BY RADICAL WOMEN’S GROUPS. EMBASSY WOULD APPRECIATE HAVING DEPT’S ESTIMATE ON LIKELIHOOD OF “BOYCOTT” OR COUNTER-CONFERENCE BY SUCH GROUPS. IT WOULD ALSO APPRECIATE CURRENT ESTIMATE ON HOW MANY NON-GOVERNMENTAL U.S. DELEGATES ARE LIKELY TO SHOW UP (FIGURES OF “SEVERAL THOUSAND” SEEM TO BE BOUNCING BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN US AND MEXICANS WITHOUT MUCH SUBSTANTIATION).
JOVA

  1. Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy Files. Limited Official Use. Repeated to USUN. USUN’s April 25 reply, telegram 1374, is ibid., D750146–0695.↩
  2. The Embassy indicated Mexican concern about unrest among the potentially large number of U.S. citizens expected to attend the World Conference on the International Women’s Year, including such “radical elements” as Betty Friedan and the National Organization for Women.↩