DRAMATIC CHANGE IN NICARAGUA URGED BY ITS ENVOY TO U.S.

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP84B00049R000902260026-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 10, 2007
• Sequence Number: 26
• Publication Date: December 13, 1982
• Content Type: OPEN

Approved For Release 2007/09/10: CIA-RDP84B00049R000902260026-0
Approved For Release 2007/09/10: CIA-RDP84B00049R000902260026-0
 Approved For Release 2007/09/10: CIA-RDP84B00049R000902260026-0
New York Times, Monday, December 13, 1982
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By ids i7 r's/oy to N'i~ PZ
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fly ALAN RIDING
S{x cial tt The Ne,?YarkTj ;
MANAGUA, Nicaragua, Dec. 11 --
Nicaragua's Ambassador to Washing.
ton has called for a "dramatic change"
in the direction of the Sandinist Govem-
ment, saying that it could ease it.; Isola
tion by improving relations with neigh-
boring governments and by increasing
political freedom at home.
The Ambassador, Francisco Fiallos
Navarro, made his comments in an
in- terview that local authorities here
banned from an opposition newspaper.
Circulation of photostatic copies of
th%interview among officials and oppo-
sition leaders here immediately stirred
speculation that Mr. Fiallos had de-
cided to leave his post after less than a
year.
(Repeated efforts, 'both by tele-
phone and through Nicaraguan offi-
cials, to reach Mr. Fiallos, who was
believed to be in the United States;
were unsuccessful this weekend. A
spokesman for the Nicaraguan Em-
bassy in Washington declined to con:-
ment on the interview.]
In the interview, which was censored
out of Friday's issue of the daily La
Prensa, the largest circulation newspa-
l s in Nicaragua, Mr. Fiallos also
sharply criticized "fanatical elements"
in the Sandinist Arnovement as wail as
the foreign policy of the Nicaraguan
Government and its "dreadful bar.-
clling " of relations with the Roman
Catholic Church.
`Swing of :?u;?det?' Urged
Referring to limitations on political
freedom inside Nicaragua, he said, "l._
believe that a substantial improvement
is necessary, even a dramatic chan e, a
sharp swing of the rudder in the conduct
of the revoiutionaiy process."
Sources at La Prensa said that Mr.
Fiallos had provided written answers
for the interview, which was prepared,
six weeks ago with the understanding
that it would be published after Dec. 8, a
religions holiday in Nicaragua. Before
the interview was banned, La Prensa
editors provided the local censor with
the original text, carrying Mr. Fiallos's
signature on every page, to prove its au-
thenticity.
La Prensa, which was a leading voice
against the Sotnoza regime that was
toppled by the Sandinist revolution, has
been a source of irritation for the cur- tion is one of division
nt r--- and confr",;.,_
e t tt?-
ect , puo,u,hmg com-
-11
plaints of business awl political opposi-
ton groups; fhe paper, which has a cir-
culation of around 70,K0, has also
adopted some pro-United States, antti-
Soriet positions on international issues
and ca rmpaigned openly on its editorial
page against Marxism-Leninism and
totalitarianism.
Mr. Fiallos's predecessor as Ambas_
sador, Arturo Cruz, resigned late in
1981, .expressing disillusionment with
the Sandinists, who took power in Nica-
ragua in July 1979.
`Dlff iced t' Relations Wi th U.S.
rty of improving in the foreseeable fu-
ture." Referring to American support
for anti-Sandinist rebels based in Hon-
duras, he warned that the Reagan Ad-
ministration was pushing other Central
American countries toward a "confron-
.tation" with Nicaragua.
But he said that "if the internal situa-
ficult to overcome the cu Frculties in t're!
international field."
"I think a vicious circle exists," be,
went on. "Oil the one hand, it is said'
that a tough stance is necessa r to net:-
tralize the effects of the hams neat. on
the other hand, strong measures
strengthen those who are harassing. It
is necessary to break out of this circle.
The Popular SanLti
t,r.ist
I Revolution is
strong enough to do so. Contrary to
what some radicals believe, some
measures of relaxation and d6tente
-?,would strengt'ren he Government."
Most of the interview was dedicated
to analyzing the domestic situatiort here ?'
and to urging the Sandinists to to ,e "un-
avoidable and uapostponable" meas-
ures, among them:
iTo revoke the Emergency Law,
"especially some measures that have
caused great harm to the revolution,
such as press censorship." .
9To call "free, just and honest elec-
tions" since "every attempt to suffo-
cate or frustrate the will" of the people
"discuises tvranniral ,"t_.,t;.,~.-...,:~..
scribed Nicaragua's relations with the should be combated directly and w,h
Reagan Ad.tninistration as "difficult j decision."
extremely difficult, with little probabii-( To follow a "genuinely ncJ~tali.znecl"
Well-placed officials here said that
while Mr. Fiallos was close to the For-
eign Minister, the Rev. Miguel d'Escoto
Brockman, he did not enjoy the confi-
dence of the nine-member Sandinist Na-
tional Directorate, the country's top
ruling body. A 36-year-old lawyer, Mr.
Fiallos joined the Government soon
after the revolution, serving as Deputy
Foreign Minister and Ambassador to
Canada before being assigned toash-
ington.
In the interview, the Ambassador de-
foreign policy instead of taking sides in
the struggle of the superpowers.
STo recognize the prominent role of
the church in the "conscience" of the
Nicaraguan people, evert though "en-
trenched Marxist-Leninist ideologues
and even less Stalinists" would find that
impossible to tunderstartil.
Approved For Release 2007/09/10: CIA-RDP84B00049R000902260026-0