CALL ON LIMA MAYOR BARRANTES

Document Type: 
Collection: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
CIA-RDP90B01370R000300470020-6
Release Decision: 
RIPPUB
Original Classification: 
C
Document Page Count: 
2
Document Creation Date: 
December 22, 2016
Document Release Date: 
November 23, 2010
Sequence Number: 
20
Case Number: 
Publication Date: 
January 12, 1984
Content Type: 
CABLE
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PDF icon CIA-RDP90B01370R000300470020-6.pdf80.62 KB
Body: 
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/03/18: CIA-RDP90BO137OR000300470020-6 OLL/LD PP RUEAIIB ZNY CCCCC ZOC STATE ZZH UTS4489 PP RUEHC DE RUESLM #0452 0122245 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P R 122225Z JAN 85 FM AMEMBASSY LIMA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3207 INFO RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 5333 RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ 7507 RUESOI/AMEMBASSY QUITO 5588 RUESNA/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 6913 BT CONF I D E N T I ALLIMA 0452 E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR TAGS: PGOV, PE SUBJ: CALL ON LIMA MAYOR BARRANTES yy' nn \\ \ 2. CONGRESSMAN SOLARZ CALLED ON LIMA'S NEW MARXIST MAYOR, ALFONSO BARRANTES, JANUARY 11, ACCOMPANIED BY CHARGE AND POLCOUNS. IN COURSE OF WIDE RANGING CONVERSATION, BARRANTES MADE FOLLOWING POINTS OF PARTICULAR INTEREST: -LIMA MUNICIPALITY, UNDER HIS LEADERSHIP, INTENDS TO ESTABLISH GOOD RELATIONS WITH U.S. AND OTHER DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS. HE PLANS SHORTLY TO MAKE CONTACT WITH A NUMBER OF U.S. MUNICIPALITIES WITH VIEW TO ESTABLISHING GREATER AMOUNT OF COOPERATION ON "BASIS OF MUTUAL RESPECT" AND CULTURAL EXCHANGES. --MILITARY WILL ALMOST CERTAINLY NOT PERMIT AN ELECTED IU GOVERNMENT TO TAKE OFFICE IN 1985. INDEED, IF BOTH IU AND APRA CANDIDATES REACH RUNOFF VOTE, MILITARY WILL PROBABLY CUT OFF PROCESS AT THAT POINT. ONLY IN EVENT ALAN GARCIA WING OF APRA PREVAILS INTERNALLY AND IS ABLE TO ASSUAGE FEARS OF RULING CLASS DOES REALISTIC CHANCE EXIST THAT A "GOLPE" CAN BE AVERTED. IN ANY CASE, IU DOES NOT BELIEVE IT CAN WIN IN 1985. SITUATION IS NOT YET RIPE. THE GOAL IS TO WIN IN 1990. FOR THIS REASON, HE (BARRANTES) DOES NOT CURRENTLY INTEND TO BE A CANDIDATE IN 1985 ELECTION. ONLY IF MASSIVE CROWDS TURN OUT TO INSIST THAT HE RUN WOULD BE RESIGN FROM CITY HALL AND MAKE THE RACE. FACT IS, BARRANTES SAID, THAT NO OTHER IU CANDIDATE HAS HIS NATIONAL POLITICAL PROJECTION AND APPEAL. --HE BELIEVES DEEPLY IN POLITICAL PLURALISM AS MOST SUITED TO HAMAN DIGNITY. IF IU ATTAINS POWER IN PERU UNDER HIS LEADERSHIP, MULTI PARTY SYSTEM AND BASIC FREEDOMS WOULD NOT BE JEOPARDIZED. HE WOULD BE PREPARED TO RELINQUISH POWER TO A FREELY ELECTED ADVERSARY COMMITTED TO REPUDIATION OF SOCIAL CHANGES WROUGHT BY nnA11.11'%=h1TI A 1 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/03/18: CIA-RDP90BO137OR000300470020-6 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/03/18: CIA-RDP90BO137OR000300470020-6 CONFIDENTIAL 84 3098243 SCP PAGE 002 NC 3098243 TOR: 122309Z JAN 84 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ --AS A "MARIATEGUIST", HE COULD GUARANTEE THAT A BARRANTES ADMINISTRATION WOULD BE SUBSERVIENT TO NO FOREIGN POWER. HE EXPRESSED HIS PERSONAL DISAGREEMTNT WITH SOVIET INVASION OF AFGHANISTAN. REPRESSION OF SOLIDARITY IN POLAND, AND BRUTALITY IN CAMBODIA. HOWEVER. HE NOTED, IU WAS A POLITICAL FRONT COMPOSED OF ALMOST EVERY CONCEIVABLE VARIATION OF MARXIST THINKING AND IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE FOR HIM TO SPEAK HONESTLY IN PUBLIC ON THESE ISSUES, BECAUSE TO DO SO WOULD AGGRAVATE ALREADY DIFFICULT PROBLEM OF MAINTAINING UNITY WITHIN FRONT. IU NEEDS TO CONCENTRATE ON SITUATION IN PERU. FOREIGN POLICY MATTERS TAKE BACK SEAT. 3. COMMENT: BARRANTES WAS GRACIOUS AND LOW KEY. WE HAVE DIFFICULTY BELIEVING THAT HE DOES NOT HIMSELF INTEND TO MAKE A RUN FOR PREISDENCY IN 1985, REGARDLESS OF PERCEIVED MILITARY THREAT. IT WOULD, PERHAPS, BE UNSEEMLY FOR HIM TO BE ADMITTING TO PRESIDENTIAL ASPIRATIONS LESS THAN TWO WEEKS AFTER TAKING OVER AS MAYOR . MASSIVE PUBLIC DEMONSTRATIONS FOR PURPOSE OF URGING HIM TO RUN WILL BE EASY TO ORGANIZE AT RIGHT MOMENT. HOWEVER, IN SO FAR AS IT IS POSSIBLE TO JUDGE A MAN AFTER SINGLE MEETING, WE BELIEVE HIS EXPRESSED COMMITMENT TO PLURALISM IS SINCERE. THERE ARE OTHERS IN IU, THOUGH, WHO DO NOT SHARE THIS COMMITMENT AND, AS HAS HAPPENED IN POLITICAL SITUATIONS SLSEWHERE, MOST RADICAL ELEMENTS COULD WELL PUSH MODERATES ASIDE IF POLITICAL POWER IS ATTAINED. OGDEN END OF MESSAGE CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/03/18: CIA-RDP90BO137OR000300470020-6