160. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Mexico1
107264. For Ambassador only. Subject: Support for Puerto Rican Independence.
Warning Notice—Intelligence Sources and Methods Involved—Not Releasable to Contractors or Contractor/Consultants—Dissemination and Extraction of Information Controlled by Originator.
1. (S—Entire text)
2. Department has received [less than 1 line not declassified] report2 [less than 1 line not declassified] indicating that President Lopez Portillo may have agreed to provide official support and pay some expenses of the “Second International Congress for Solidarity With the Puerto [Page 377] Rican Independence Movement” to be held in Mexico City on September 10–13. We would be quite concerned if an organization of this nature should obtain the backing of the Mexican Government. You should therefore approach Mexican officials at highest possible level, drawing on talking points below and emphasizing the deep concern with which we would view any external involvement in the political situation in Puerto Rico.
—We have received newspaper and other reports of plans for holding the Second International Congress for Solidarity With the Puerto Rican Independence Movement in Mexico City on September 10–13. These reports allege that President Lopez Portillo has agreed to provide official support for the Congress.
—It is for the people of Puerto Rico themselves to decide fundamental questions regarding their political system. We strongly reject any outside interference in the affairs of Puerto Rico, which is unwarranted because of the free and open nature of its society.
—President Carter is fully committed to accept whatever status the people of Puerto Rico might choose in the future. In his July 25 proclamation to the Puerto Rican people President Carter declared that he would support whatever political status they might wish—statehood, independence, commonwealth status or mutually-agreed modifications in that status.3
—The principle of self-determination is one we greatly value. We view this conference as an attempt to undermine this principle and therefore find it objectionable. We would strongly object to any official Mexican involvement in Puerto Rico. We would appreciate GOM clarification of this matter.4
- Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D790169–1720. Secret; Immediate; Exdis. Drafted by Svendsen; cleared by Vaky, Pastor, Bridges, and in INR/DDIL/OIL and S/S–O; approved by Maynes.↩
- Not found.↩
- See Public Papers: Carter, 1978, Book II, p. 1336.↩
- Lucey made these points in a meeting with Roel on April 3. In a later telephone call with Lucey, Roel passed on Lopez Portillo’s comment that he considered reports of his approval of Mexican support for the conference to be a “defamation of character,” since he agreed that the question of Puerto Rican independence was an internal U.S. affair. (Telegram 6986 from Mexico City, April 3; National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D790201–0278) In telegram 7995 from Mexico City, May 16, Lucey reported that Roel told him in a May 14 meeting that the conference was being cancelled. (National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D790224–0546)↩