Office of the Historian

246. Memorandum From John Matheny of the Office of the Vice President to Vice President Mondale1

Washington, June 29, 1979

SUBJECT

  • SCC Meeting on Nicaragua, Friday, June 29, 1979, 11:00 a.m. Situation Room

Based on conversations with Robert Pastor and a gleaning of the cables, it appears to me that we are headed for a split within the Administration on whether to support some combination of a revitalized National Guard and accompanying provisional government or whether to back off and try to influence events through the junta.

This split, of course, is based on the difference in perception concerning the ultimate threat of the Sandinista marxist element to the influx of moderate elements into the junta. The Venezuelans to whom we have talked and others who are knowledgeable (Cruz and Carazo) tend to believe that the power goes with the guns and that although we have to move carefully, we can’t ignore this fact.2 In this respect Torrijos cannot be allowed to run unchecked seeming to carry a US- [Page 619] backed policy in a direction that could very well result in a marxist dominated government.

I believe Aaron, Pastor and Defense will want to support elements of the Guard that we can co-op to support moderate elements within the provisional government. Vaky and State may wish to back off.3

  1. Source: Carter Library, Donated Material, Papers of Walter F. Mondale, Box 63, Foreign Countries—Nicaragua, 1977–1980. Secret; Sensitive. Sent for information.↩
  2. Mondale placed a set of parenthesis around the words “Cruz and Carazo” and placed two vertical lines in the left-hand margin next to the sentence.↩
  3. Mondale wrote at the bottom of the page: “The perception of yours not withstanding—should Somoza leave before the President’s return would not be beneficial.” Mondale’s reference is to the fact that Carter was not scheduled to return from the Tokyo G–7 Economic Summit until after June 29.↩