453. Telegram 3332 From the Embassy in Mexico to the Department of State1 2
President Diaz Ordaz had extremely cordial meeting for nearly one hour Saturday morning with Dr. Kissinger. After receiving Dr. Kissinger’s assurances of President Nixon’s best wishes, Diaz Ordaz again expressed his admiration for President and for US.
Diaz Ordaz spent much of the meeting going over his views on the temporary decline last year of US-Mexican relations as a result of the inauguration of Operation Intercept without adequate consultation. After outlining the very unfortunate effect of the operation particularly because of its beginning only a few days after the meeting of the two Presidents at Amistad Dam, Diaz Ordaz freely admitted that the executive branch of the US Government had taken prompt and effective steps to neutralize the damage done and that relations were now back on even keel. Diaz Ordaz expressed regret he had been forced to take public position on this issue during astronauts’ visit but said he had been placed in impossible position. Half of Mexicans thought, he said, that he had combined with President Nixon to deceive Mexican people about the operation and the other half thought he had been deceived by our President in not telling him about “intercept”. Dr. Kissinger indicated precautions had been taken so there would not be a repetition of this incident. Diaz Ordaz expressed appreciation.
Dr. Kissinger outlined importance which President Nixon attached [Page 2] to US relationship with Latin America in general and with Mexico in particular. Diaz Ordaz outlined his views on the special importance of this relationship because Mexico and US have not only a common frontier but form the border between the English and Spanish-speaking worlds of America. There was some discussion of a special relationship between our two countries and it was agreed that this already exists.
Diaz Ordaz did not raise other specific problems but was pleased that Dr. Kissinger had called on him. As usual Diaz Ordaz was friendly and even voluble and prolonged conversation long beyond lengths of protocol.
- Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 787, Country Files, Latin America, Mexico, Vol. II, January 1, 1970–December 31, 1971. Confidential; Limdis.↩
- The Embassy reported on a meeting between Kissinger and President Díaz Ordaz, in which the Mexican President talked about the negative effects of Operation Intercept on U.S.-Mexican relations. Kissinger assured Díaz Ordaz that there would not be a repetition of the incident.↩