Office of the Historian

279. Memorandum of Conversation1

Mexico City, December 1, 1976.

PARTICIPANTS

  • U.S. Side
  • The Secretary
  • Mr. William Rogers, Under Secretary for Economic Affairs
  • Colombia Side
  • Foreign Minister Indalecio Lievano Aguirre

The Secretary met over lunch with Foreign Minister Lievano.Lievano stressed human rights and touched on Panama and economic relations as well.

Human Rights: This issue was at the top of Lievano’s agenda. His suggestion was blunt: do not hang U.S. policy in the hemisphere around the human rights issue. To make human rights performance the test of our relationship with the nations of the Americas would chill our ties with a goodly number who happen not to share our own democratic preferences just now, would create no end of difficulties for the few other democracies, and would probably not do much for human rights.

Panama: On the Canal treaty, we have perhaps a year. As before, he urged that we consider Torrijos the one viable alternative. We should not think we would be better off negotiating with one of the old Panamanians. Duration is the nub. Why not look at two treaties, one on the Canal zone for a shorter term and one on defense, framed perhaps like our mutual defense treaties with other countries, for a considerably longer period. Panama would buy this, he said.

Economic Relations: Lievano restrains his enthusiasm for the G–77. Latin America is different from Africa and has different interests. It [Page 748] would be far better if the North-South dialogue were regionalized. We have a special relationship within the hemisphere. Use it. He would like to see a program of major U.S. concessions in the trade area, though he chided us that we had best recognize from the outset that if we are to do anything significant we are going to have to disappoint our trade union interests. We should nevertheless try to move in a major way in a dozen or so industrial areas and unveil a regional plan at the OAS Special General Assembly.

  1. Summary: Kissinger and Lievano discussed human rights, Panama, and economic relations.

    Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, P820118–1945. Secret; Sensitive; Nodis.

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