Foreign Relations, 1977–1980, Volume XXIII, Mexico, Cuba, and the Caribbean

153. Memorandum From Guy F. Erb of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski), the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Aaron), and Robert Pastor of the National Security Council Staff¹

Washington, January 24, 1979

SUBJECT

• Lopez Portillo’s Views on U.S. Policy Toward Latin America and Energy (C)

While in New York on Monday² I had a conversation with a high UN official who discussed with me President Lopez Portillo’s conversations with Secretary General Waldheim during the latter’s official visit to Mexico. (C)

Lopez Portillo said that the United States cares only about Panama and Cuba in Latin America and that there was no well structured U.S. policy toward individual countries nor toward the region as a whole. (C)

Lopez Portillo also said that the United States had destabilized the situation in Nicaragua but had not provided an alternative to Somoza, who, despite his faults, had maintained a stable regime. (C)

On energy, Lopez Portillo said that the United Nations could provide an international framework for Mexico’s bilateral energy relations with the United States. Lopez Portillo therefore supported a revival of Waldheim’s intitiative for an international energy institute.³ Waldheim may well act on the Lopez Portillo suggestion to revitalize the energy institute proposal. (C)

Lopez Portillo saw energy and food issues as two key elements in North/South relations: other components of an emerging international order could be put in place after agreements were reached on energy and food.⁴ (C)

1. Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Brzezinski Office File, Country Chron, Box 30, Mexico, 10–12/78. Confidential. Copies were sent to Owen and Poats.
2. January 22.
3. Waldheim proposed in 1977 creating an International Energy Institute to assist less-developed countries with the development of energy technologies. (Telegram 1951 from USUN, June 17, 1977; National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D770217–0712) The proposed institute was not created.
4. In a follow-up memorandum to Aaron on January 26, Erb noted that “Lopez Portillo implied that U.S. human rights policies had unsettled the situation in Nicaragua. He did not say that the United States had intervened directly in a way that destabilized the situation in that country.” Aaron wrote in the margin, “If Waldheim was your source, remember Kissinger’s comment about him—‛Make no mistake, behind that vain and vacuous exterior lies a vain and vacuous man!’” (Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Country File, Box 49, Mexico, 1–2/79)