6. Memorandum From Secretary of State Rogers to President Nixon1

SUBJECT

  • U.S. Posture, Objectives and Strategy for OAS Special Committee Review of the Inter-American System

I have designated Assistant Secretary of State Jack B. Kubisch and United States Permanent Representative to the OAS Joseph John Jova to head the U.S. Delegation to the inauguration of the OAS Special Committee which is to study the restructuring of the Inter-American System beginning June 20 in Lima, Peru.

As I reported to you upon my return from Latin America, I believe that the benefits to our national interests in a useful, positive inter-American system are sufficiently high as to warrant a concerted effort to redirect some forums of the system away from the largely sterile confrontations of the last several years and toward greater cooperation on common interests. The OAS Special Committee review of the purposes and institutions of the system will provide the organizational framework for that effort.

Like our relationships with the Latin American countries as a whole, the inter-American system is showing signs of strain under the pressure of a rapidly changing world. Nevertheless, we believe that even the most realistic appraisal of the limitations on what each side can do does not jeopardize the potential validity of the system as an instrument that adds an extra and useful dimension to our political, security, and economic relations with Latin America. The question is whether the nations of Latin America have reached this same conclusion and are prepared to reconsider the confrontation posture they have assumed in some areas of the system over recent years.

Cuba

Cuba will remain a divisive factor at Lima. Our diplomatic representations last week helped stave off majority support for a Venezuelan [Page 20] effort to remove sanctions against Cuba. Their efforts continue. With the recent defection of Argentina, only one or two votes separate the proponents of change from the majority they seek. We will continue to work with like-minded allies, such as Brazil, to oppose any present change, recognizing that despite our best efforts, our opponents may gain at least majority support, particularly in the psychological atmosphere of Lima. We shall also continue to oppose attempts by Chile and possibly others to bring Cuba into the meeting, utilizing “back door” procedures.

U.S. Posture for the Forthcoming Meeting

The response to NSSM 173, “A Review of U.S. Policy Toward Latin America,” presents for your consideration three alternative postures with respect to a reformed inter-American system. Pending your decision on which is appropriate for the long run, I have directed Assistant Secretary Kubisch and Ambassador Jova to pursue that option which assumes little can be done overnight to alter the divergent trends in the respective interests of the U.S. and Latin America but that by dint of hard work we and the Latin Americans may be able to achieve a workable and realistic new relationship. I am instructing the U.S. delegation to try to find the common denominator of shared interests and trade-offs justifying some form of continued formal association which I believe, both as a result of my own review of the system and my conversations with Latin leaders, is potentially quite useful.

Thus our delegation will probe to what extent the Latins wish to use the inter-American system for cooperative efforts within the constraints imposed on the U.S. and to what extent they are going to attempt to increase their use of the system to elicit further U.S. commitments or inhibit our defense of legitimate national interests. It will, however, recognize that the Latins cannot realistically be expected entirely to foreswear using the system in their own interests to influence U.S. actions.

U.S. Objectives

1. To preserve the system’s basic framework, particularly the mutual defense mechanism of the Rio Treaty;

2. To broaden development arrangements in order to shift more of the burden to other developed countries; and

3. To downgrade those aspects of the system which most lend themselves to confrontation politics or extremist demands.

Strategy

In my public comments at the end of my trip, I made clear that I am inclined to think that the structure of the OAS is all right. We intend to offer with the necessary cautions, specific proposals to achieve our ob[Page 21]jectives. A strategy problem is to demonstrate the leadership which Latins expect of us and yet not create expectations that the U.S. is going to save the Latins from making the hard choice—constructive long-term use of the institutions or their short-term employment for confrontation.

I have instructed Assistant Secretary Kubisch and Ambassador Jova to proceed, as appropriate, to offer those proposals which relate to the option we are pursuing. Among these are:

—Modifications of OAS economic forums which now run counter to our purposes or are out of tune with present realities;

—Willingness to discuss new mechanisms or procedures for settling bilateral disputes involving the U.S.;

—Expanded membership in the Inter-American Development Bank to permit full participation by other developed countries.

In response to anticipated Latin proposals, I would expect the delegation to take the following positions:

—Express a willingness to see the seat of the Organization removed from Washington, if the Latins so desire;

—Defend those elements of the system—particularly peacekeeping, hemispheric defense multilateral lending—which conform to our interests and enjoy our support; and

—Resist proposals which attempt to bind the U.S. to unrealistic new commitments or unduly restrict our ability to defend our legitimate national interests.

I believe this approach underlines our intention to do what we can to strengthen the OAS, within the limitations imposed by present circumstances.

At the same time, the approach saves essential options with respect to the nature of our future participation in the system that emerges from this review.

William P. Rogers
  1. Summary: Rogers informed Nixon of a forthcoming OAS Special Committee meeting to discuss restructuring the inter-American system.

    Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–1973, OAS 3. Confidential. Drafted by Rozanne Ridgway in ARA–LA/PLC, and cleared by Jova. A draft of the memorandum was sent to Rogers for his signature under a June 15 covering memorandum from Kubisch. (Ibid.) Telegram 4977 from Lima, July 15, transmitted the final report of the OAS Special Committee meeting, which accepted the “notion that times call for profound changes in system” while avoiding “specific conclusions on what form those changes should take.” (Ibid., Central Foreign Policy File, [no film number])