441. Memorandum From the Executive Secretary of the Department of State (Tarnoff) to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)1
SUBJECT
- Colombian Representations with Cuba re Tlatelolco
During the meeting in Panama June 16–17, Colombian President Alfonso Lopez Michelsen promised President Carter to press Fidel Castro to sign the Tlatelolco Treaty.2 President Lopez has now provided us with the following summary of the results of his representations.
Lopez instructed his Foreign Minister who attended the Cuban national ceremonies July 26 to speak personally to Castro on this subject. Castro told the Colombia Foreign Minister that he would not sign the Treaty; that the USSR had been pressing him hard to do the same thing and he has said no to the Soviets; that this was in fact one of the main current points of differences he had with the Russians. Castro explained that he was not about to give up his freedom of manuever or limit his future freedom (even though he had no intention of storing or acquiring nuclear arms) just because the big powers ask him to do so, i.e. “free of charge.” Lopez concluded that Castro is firm against signing.
President Lopez said he wanted President Carter to know that he had complied with his promise and asked that the above information be passed to him.
Executive Secretary