Foreign Relations of the United States, 1977–1980 Volume XXIV, South America; Latin America Region

97. Memorandum From John Spiegel of the Office of the Deputy Secretary of State to Robert Pastor of the National Security Council Staff¹

Washington, February 28, 1979

SUBJECT

• Assessment of Current Human Rights Situation in Argentina

Attached is a report on the current human rights situation in Argentina, done at Secretary Vance’s request by the Assistant Secretaries for Latin America, Human Rights, Policy Planning, and Intelligence and Research.² The report concludes that kidnapping, by official security units, continued during 1978 at a rate of roughly 55 “disappearances” per month. Approximately 90% of those abducted are estimated to have been tortured during interrogation, and many have been summarily executed.

On the basis of the attached report, Secretary Vance and Mr. Christopher believe that we cannot continue abstaining in the multilateral development banks on non-basic human needs loans to Argentina. The United States moved from a position of voting no on non-basic human needs loans to abstention because of signs that the Argentine government intended to address seriously the very grave human rights situation. We have urged the GOA to do so in repeated diplomatic approaches at the highest levels, including Secretary Vance and the Vice President. We had hoped that the GOA’s decision last fall to invite the Inter-American Human Rights Commission to visit Argentina this May would provide a further inducement for improvements in advance of the visit, and for that reason we went forward with Export-Import Bank financing and some IMET courses. Notwithstanding our efforts and expectations, there has been no improvement in what remains the worst human rights situation in the hemisphere.

As you know, the legal restrictions, from a human rights standpoint, on U.S. positions on loans by the multilateral development banks are much stronger and more explicit than in other areas of economic relations such as Ex-Im lending, OPIC guarantees, or export licenses, where we have followed a somewhat more liberal course with respect to Argentina. The U.S. is required by law to seek to channel assistance in the multilateral development banks away from countries whose governments engage in “a consistent pattern of gross violations of internationally recognized human rights,” and to oppose loans to those countries unless the loans serve basic human needs. We consistently vote against loans to a number of countries where the situation is not as grave as in Argentina. Given these considerations, and taking into account the need to address this difficult bilateral issue in a positive way whenever possible, Secretary Vance and Mr. Christopher have concluded that the U.S. must move soon to a “vote no” position unless there are substantial improvements in the Argentine human rights situation.

Amb. Vaky is discussing with the Argentine Ambassador this need for improvement in the near future and the likely consequences of a continuation of the current situation.³

Please let me know if you have any reactions to the attached report.⁴

1. Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, North/South, Pastor, Country Files, Box 1, Argentina, 1–7/79. Secret.
2. Attached, printed in Document 96.
3. In telegram 49984 to Buenos Aires, March 1, the Department reported that Vaky told Aja Espil, “Without substantial improvement, we would have to move to a negative vote on upcoming loans. (Ambassador Aja Espil responded to this by noting that the next loan would not be up for a vote for a month or two, and a great deal could happen by then; Assistant Secretary Vaky replied that he was happy to hear that and he hoped rapid progress would be made.)” (National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D790094–1133)
4. In a February 23 memorandum to Brzezinski, Pastor reported that he had spoken to Spiegel about the paper, “informed him of your interest and the President’s interest in any decision on Argentina, requesting that they suspend a decision until after we have had an opportunity to review the paper. He agreed to send the paper and to try to get a postponement.” Brzezinski highlighted this passage, underlined the phrase “get a postponement,” and wrote “make sure” in the margin underneath it. (Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, North/South, Pastor, Country Files, Box 1, Argentina, 1–7/79)