MEETING OF SENATOR TRIBLE WITH PRESIDENT FIGUEIREDO

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90B01370R000801060029-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 30, 2010
• Sequence Number: 29
• Publication Date: July 24, 1984
• Content Type: CABLE

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PAGE 001
TOR: 2419572 JUL 84
RR RUEAIIB
ZNY CCCCC ZOC STATE ZZH
STU7619
RR RUEHC
DE RUEHBR N7031 2061839
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 2418392 JUL 84
FM AMEMBASSY BRASILIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5234
INFO RUESUA/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO 6884
RUESUP/AMCONSUL SAO PAULO 6890
RUEHBRP/AMCONSUL PORTO ALEGRE 4761
RUEHBRC/AMCONSUL RECIPE 6710
ZEN/AMCONSUL SALVADOR DA BAHIA POUCH
BT
C O N F I D E N T I A L BRASILIA 07031
E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: PGOV, ECON, BR, OVIP (TRIBLE, PAUL)
SUBJ: MEETING OF SENATOR TRIBLE WITH PRESIDENT
- FIGUEIREDO
2. DURING HIS RECENT VISIT TO BRASILIA ON JULY 10
SENATOR PAUL TRIBLE (R-VA) CALLED ON PRESIDENT
FIGUEIREDO. THE CONVERSATION DID NOT PRODUCE ANY NEW
INFORMATION, BUT IT DID CONFIRM THE GROWING PUBLIC
IMAGE OF PRESIDENT FIGUEIREDO AS A MAN WHO DOES NOT
LIKE POLITICS, DISTRUSTS POLITICIANS AND LOOKS FORWARD
WITH PLEASURE TO THE END OF HIS TERM. CHARGE O'DONNELL
AND AN FSN INTERPRETER ACCOMPANIED TRIBLE ON THE CALL.
A DETAILED MEMORANDUM OF CONVERSATION IS BEING POUCHED
TO ARA/BR FERRER AND INR/IAA GALLUCCI.
3. THE FOLLOWING ARE THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE CONVERSA-
TION:
-- PRESIDENT FIGUEIREDO SAID THAT HIS FATHER ADVISED HIM
NEVER TO GET INTO POLITICS, BUT THAT HIS MILITARY
COLLEAGUES, BY CFIOOSING HIM PRESIDENT IN 1979, MADE IT
IMPOSSIBLE FOR HIM TO FOLLOW THAT ADVICE. HE SAID THAT
HIS EXPERIENCE IN THE PRESIDENCY HAS BEEN VERY PAINFUL.
-- THE PRESIDENT SAID HE LOST FAITH A LONG TIME AGO IN
MEN, PARTICULARLY BRAZILIAN POLITICIANS. "I HAVE TO
CONFESS THAT I HAVE NEVER LEARNED HOW TO LIVE WITH
BRAZILIAN POLITICIANS BECAUSE, AS A GENERAL RULE, ALL
THEY DO IS THINK ABOUT THEMSELVES AND HOW TO GET OR STAY
IN POWER. THEY NEVER CARE ABOUT THE INTERESTS OF THE
COUNTRY." PRESIDENT FIGUEIREDO ADDED THAT POLITICIANS
SOMETIMES TELL HIM THAT ONE MUST GIVE UP ONE'S CONVICTIONS
IN ORDER TO SATISFY THE DESIRES OF THE PEOPLE. HE SAID
HE USUALLY ANSWERS THAT A STATESMAN MUST HAVE THE COURAGE
TD STAND UP TO THE PEOPLE AND TELL THEM THEY ARE WRONG
WHEN HE IS CONVINCED THAT IN FACT THE PEOPLE ARE. WRONG.
-eatv~re~~-
OLL/LD
INCOMING
25X1
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C011iFIDENTiAL
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TOR: 2419572 JUL 84
OF PETROLEUM AS THE TWO MOST SERIOUS ECONOMIC PROBLEMS
NOW FACING BRAZIL. HE SAID THAT MOST OF THE MONEY WHICH
BRAZIL BORROWED ABROAD HAS BEEN WELL SPENT. HE CITED
THE iTAIPU POWER PLANT A$ AN EXAMPLE. HE SAID THAT THE
DECISION TO GREATLY EXPAND STEEL PRODUCTION CERTAINLY
SEEMED A GOOD IDEA WHEN IT WAS MADE. BUT HE NOTED THAT
THE WORLD RECESSION HAC HURT BRAZILIAN STEEL EXPORTS.
-- FIGUEIREDO SAID THAT THE PROBLEM OF LARGE LAND AREAS
OWNED BY A ?EW (LATIFUNDI05) MUST BE RESOLVED BY
DEMOCRATIC MEANS, NOT ALONG MARXIST LINES. HE CLAIMED
THAT THE CATHOLIC CHURCH HAS BEEN A SERIOUS BARRIER TO
THE GOVERNMENT'S PLANS FOR DEMOCRATIC LAND REFORM. HE
SAID THE CHURCH WA5 INFILTRATED BY MARXISTS AND CITED
FOREIGN CATHOLIC PRI'cSTS AS BEING PARTICULARLY ACTIVE IN
SPREADING THEIR BRAND OF MARXIStd AMONG THE FAITHFUL,
ESPECIALLY IN THE PJORTHEAST.
-- FAMILY PLANNING IS ANOTHER AREA IN WHICH THE CHURCH
HAS PLAYED A NEGATIVE ROLE, FIGUEIREDO SAID. HE SAID
THAT NOT ONLY DO COUPLES HAVE THE RIGHT TO CHOSE THE
SIZE OF THEIR FAMILIES, BUT IT IS ALSO THE STATE'S DUTY
TO PROVIDE THE POOR WITH THE INFORMATION AND THE MEANS
FOR THEM TO EXERCISE THAT RIGHT. HE SAID THAT MARXISTS
ALSO OPPOSE POPULATION CONTROL BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT
THE LARGER THE POPULATION AND THE GREATER THE POVERTY,
THE BETTER THEIR CHANCES OF SPREADING THEIR
PHILOSOPHY.
-- FIGUEIREDO RECALLED WITH PLEASURE PRESIDENT REAGAN'S
VISIT. HE SAID THAT "WE DISAGREED ON SOME POINTS, BUT
THEY WERE THE MOST PLEASANT DISAGREEMENTS I HAVE HAO IN
MY LIFE." PRESIDENT REAGAN "CONQUERED US ALL", HE SAID.
4. COMMENT: PRESIDENT FIGUEIREDO APPEARED TENSE,
IRASCIBLE AND BITTER WHEN HE TALKED ABOUT BRAZILIAN
POLITICS AND POLITICIANS, THOUGH AS THE CONVERSATION
PROGRESSED HE BECAME MORE RELAXED. THIS CONVERSATION
(ENDS SUPPORT TO THE PUBLIC IMAGE OF AN HONEST,
UNCOMPLICATED MILITARY OFFICER WHO IS QUT OF HIS
MILIEU IN THE FRUSTRATING BUSINESS OF POLITICS.
WATSON
END OF MESSAGE CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
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