MEETING WITH ROSENDO FRAGA - 1981/10/30

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Argentina Declassification Project - The "Dirty War" (1976-83)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06627125
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: April 3, 2019
• Document Release Date: April 12, 2019
• Publication Date: October 30, 1981

Approved for Release: 2018/09/17 C06627125
OPTIONAL FORM It40. 10
JULY I073 EDITION
rpiwin 141 cren 101.11.6
CONFIDENTIAL
UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
Memorandum
TO
FROM :
SUBJECT:
10104.10
POL Files
Amembassy Buenos Aires
POL - Townsend B. Friedman
Meeting with Rosendo Fraga
C - ENTIRE TEXT.
44-62:
DATE:october'30, 1981
CIA HAS NO OBJECTION TO
DECLASSIFICATION AND/OR RELEASE
OF THIS DOCUMENT DATE: 09-14-2018
I met with Liendo's political advisor, Rosendo Fraga,
October 29. Some high points follow:
The Current Situation: Fraga offered the judgement that
Argentina was entering a period of political jitters
similar to that it had experienced last June and July.
Political and economic phenomena were the same as
several months ago. In addition, there were added
"social" factors -- a reference to the several public
demonstrations of the past week or so. He said that
one difference today was that Galtieri, who was seen as
an alternative to Viola in June and July, is today more
and more accepted as Viola's eventual successor in 1984.
The Peronist No To Dialogue: Fraga put an upbeat gloss
on the Peronist failure to meet with Minister of
Interior Liendo, as announced. Fraga said it was a
postponement rather than a rejection. He said the
majority of Peronist leaders, including Lorenzo Miguel,
on the level of the National Council want to meet
formally with Liendo. The minority carried the day
because the majority, he cited particularly Miguel and
Bittel, cannot get along with each other. Fraga stated
that Massera was one of the men who influenced the
Peronist no, adding that Sobrino Aranda is working
closely with Massera (I thought Sobrino was closest to
Galtieri at this point).
The Peronist Future: There is no doubt in Fraga's mind
that the Peronists will eventually divide. The question,
he said, is where the split will come. In the middle
or close to one of the extremes. Re Peronist factions,
CONFIDENTIAL
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CONFIDENTIAL 2
in the course of a talk he showed me a large political
chart done for one of Liendo's briefings. The chart
had the Peronists broken down into six factions.
The Political Future: Fraga again announced his faith
that Viola's road to democracy was the only conceivable
road for Argentina. I asked him what the goal finally
was -- to build new political parties; to stay with the
present ones, etc. He recalled one of our first conver-
sations in which he described three large political
forces in the country -- a left composed of the left
wing of the Peronists and the communists, a large
majoritarian center composed of the Radicals and the
rest of Peronism, and a right, grouped around the
conservative regional parties. He said that this poli-
tical panorama was the unchanging goal for the GOA, as
far as he is concerned. He was sure that Liendo and
Viola shared his outlook, he added. He said that the
idea of some military men and conservatives to form a
party is a sound one, so long as they do not plan on it
being the heir to the "process." Such an officialista
force is doomed to failure, he suggested,
The Beagle: Fraga continues to see a settlement with
the Brits on the Falklands as a reachable goal in the
near future. More than that, he sees it as an alter-
native to progress on the Beagle, where he expects none.
I do not know who is telling him a Malvinas settlement --
with Falklander to Argentine sovereignty -- is a
realistic near-term goal, but Fraga really believes it.
Galtieri: The Army CINC is very susceptible to U.S.
influence. What the USG says to him has great influence
on what he does.
POLCOUNS:JFKing
cc: AMB
DCM
POL-4
DAO
ARA/SC/Argentina
INR/IAA/SA
CONFIDENTIAL
Approved for Release: 2018/09/17 C06627125