228. Backchannel Message From the White House Situation Room to the Embassy in Panama1

WH80706. From: The Situation Room. To: Bob Pastor.

Rick Inderfurth instructed us to inform you that the President has received two letters from Latin American Heads of State.

President Carazo of Costa Rica expressed his deep concern over events evolving in the Dominican Republic and asked that our Embassy in San Jose keep him informed as appropriate.

President Perez 2 characterizes the Dominican situation as the most serious crisis in the Caribbean since the Cuban revolution and suggests applying the most severe OAS measures against the de facto regime should the Dominican election be nullified.

Meanwhile, the Panamanian Foreign Ministry today expressed its “deep concern over events in the Dominican Republic, which seem to be aimed at changing the results of the vote in which the Dominican people expressed their will.”

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President Joaquin Balaguer told OAS observers that the counting of the votes cast in yesterday’s elections—suspended this morning by the military forces—will be resumed.3

  1. Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Subject File, Box 8, Folder: Backchannel Messages: Latin America: 6/77–12/78. Confidential; Sensitive; Immediate.
  2. Carlos Andres Perez, President of Venezuela.
  3. In telegram 2646 from Santo Domingo, May 18, the Embassy reported that the counting of votes did not resume until 8:30 p.m. on May 18. (National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D780208–0915)