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Security Council Distr UNITED NATIONS Security Council Distr. - GENERAL s/15422 23 September 1982 ENGLISH ORIGINAL: SPANISH LETTER DATED 21 SEPTEMBER 1982 FROM THE PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF NICARAGUA TO THE UNITED NATIONS ADDRESSED TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SECURITY 03UNCIL I have the honour to refer to the note dated 23 August 1982 (S/15384) from the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Honduras, Dr. Mgardo Paz Barnica, to the then President of the Security Council, Mr. Noel Eorr, in which he accuses Nicaragua of a series of harassments against his country. The Covernmentof National Reconstruction of Nicaragua finds it surprising that the Government of Honduras should claim to be the victim of frontier tensions, since, as we stated in our note of 16 August (S/15365), those who died as a result of the well-known criminal incursions carried out from Honduran territory by former guards of the Somoza r&gime were Nicaraguan citizens, and not Hondurans. Consolidation of social tranquillity, reconstruction of our economy and defence of our frontiers are absolute priorities for the people and Government of Nicaragua. It is therefore absurd to suggest that Nicaragua would be interested in jeopardizing its efforts and diverting its limited human and material r@.@ourc@s by launching campaigns against its neighbours. Nicaragua did not invent the causes of the malaise in other countries and has no intention of providing grounds for accusations whose purpose is to promote and justify the increasing intervention of the United States in the internal affairs of Central America. Against this background, it is astonishing that the Government of Honduras should presume to urge the Security Council to "encourage the use by Nicaragua of diplomatic means to promote and ensure peace in the Central American region", in view of the well-known gestures for peace and dialogue which Nicaragua has made to the Council and to the international community on a number of occasions. Even more incomprehensible is the fondness foe "negotiation and Eree exchange of views" expressed by the Gcwernment of Honduras in its latest note, in the light of the unwillingness of Minister Paz Barnica to accept the invitation issued on 24 August last by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Miguel D'Escoto Brockmann, to a meeting at Managua. In view of the gravity of the frontier situation, Minister D'Escoto, r@C@ntly, in a message dated 4 September to Minister Paz Barnica, 82-25060 0315m (E) / . S/15422 mglish Page 2 repeated the previous invitation, in the hope that our Government would receive from Honduras a proposal for the date of such a meeting, so that it could be held as soon as possible. In addition to these initiatives, which faithfully attest to the willingness of the'Government of Nicaragua to make every effort to contribute to the improvement of relations with Honduras, there was the communication of 6 August 1982, annexed hereto, from the Co-ordinator of the Governing Junta of National Reconstruction, Commandant of the Revolution Daniel Ortega Saavedra, to His Excellency Roberto Suazo Cdrdoba, President of the raepublic of Honduras, inviting him to a meeting to consider all the concerns and proposals which the two Governments might wish to put forward, including the comprehensive peace proposal formulated by Honduras. We understand, as stated by Foreign Minister Paz Barnica himself, that his peace proposals are of a multilateral character and logically require the concurrence of all the countries of the region. My Government has no difficulty with such a" approach, since we are prepared to consider any serious formula that would contribute to peace in Central America. It should be recalled that, at the meeting between the Heads of State of Honduras and Nicaragua at the Guasaule frontier post on 13 May 1981, the two Gweenments reiterated their firm "conviction that the solution of any problem must be sought through dialogue" and that, in compliance with that pledge, the Co-ordinator of the Governing Junta and the Minister for Foreign Affairs of my country went to Tegucigalpa for talks with Honduran authorities. 14y Government is understandably concerned at the obvious inconsistency between the unwillingness of the Government of Honduras to continue a bilateral dialogue, on the one hand, and the publicizing of its peace proposals and of false accusations, on the other. Such a policy does not contribute in any way to a relaxation of tensions in the region. I should be grateful if you would circulate this note and its annexes as a Security Council document. (Signed) Javier CHAMORRO MORA Ambassador Permanent Representative of Nicaragua to the United Nations / . S/15422 English Annex I Page 1 Annex I Letter dated 6 August 1982 from the Co-ordinator of the Bverning Junta of National Feeconstruction of Nicaragua to the President of Honduras I have the honour to refer to recent developments in the Central American area, and particularly in the HondurarrNicaraguan frontier region, which in the view of the Government of Nicaragua merit the most thorough attention. As you know, in recent months the situation on our common frontier has increasingly deteriorated and there have been a further series of incidents the gravity of which we need hardly stress, but which constitute a distinct threat to peace between our countries and for the Central American region as a whole. In these circumstances, and in the belief that it is oniy through dialogue that the problems affecting our two nations can be overcome, I have the honour to invite you to a meeting at Managua aimed at finding answers, through a free and open exchange of views, to the problems which exist between Honduras, and Nicaragua. It would logically follow from the above that we should take up as agenda items at that meeting all the concerns and proposals which your (33vernment and mine might wish to put forward, such as the seven-point Honduran peace proposal and the seven-point Nicaraguan peace proposal. The meeting would also be attended by the Ministers for Foreign Affairs and representatives of the :anned forces of our countries. The Government of Nicaragua is sure that this initiative, which is designed to strengthen the cause of peace, will be favourably received, in a resolve to obtain for our peoples the security and well-being to which they are entitled. The date of the meeting and other details would be established by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, through the appropriate channels. (Signed) Daniel ORTEGA SAAVEDPA s/15422 mglish Annex II Page 1 Annex II Cxnmuniqu6 issed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nicaragua on 2 September 1982 lbe Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the &public of Nicaragua, taking into account the serious political situation in the’Centra1 American region, deems it appropriate to state the following% The government of National Reconstruction considers that the views expressed recently at the Commonwealth Club of San Rancisco, California, by the Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs of the Reagan Mministration were completely illogical, not only because they were abusive and frivolous but also because they ~entailed inconsistency and distortion. It is even more incomprehensible why this statement was entitled “Suilding peace in Central America”, when in the light of developments in the region it is easy to see that what is being established there are the bases for an ignominious war, designed and conceived in advance by the Reagan Administration even before it assumed power. A glance at the famous Santa Fc peper, which constitutes the keystone of Ulited States foreign policy, shows how the bellicose and threatening philoaoghy of that Mministration has gradually been developed. NOW, high officials of the Ragan Wministration, and the Assistant Secretary in his speech at the Commonwealth Club, are seeking to distort the truth by presenting erroneous accounts of what really happened as regards efforts to achieve peace in the region. hoping to make the Nicaraguan 03vernment appear intransigent and unwilling to engage in a dialogue. The facts a’re as follows. In September 1980, members of our Governing Junta met with Resident Carter in the YJlite House and an effective dialogue was begun. This mutual readiness to readjust and inwove relations between Nicaragua and the Vlited States underwent an abrupt change when the Reagan Administration took office in January 1981. Since then, the Government of Nicaragua has sought on many occasions to pursue those contacts at the highest level with a view to finding political solutions to our differences. It was not until August 1981, after months of insistent effort, that Assistant Secretary of State lhomas Enders came to Nicaragua and met with members of OUT Governing Junta) despite the arrogance of this official, we felt that it was an appropriate opportunity to initiate contacts with a view to achieving. peace. A process of exchanging notes was begun, in which Nicaragua and the United States presented their respective proposals. In October 1981, while both countries were involved in this process, the Ulited States launched aerial and naval manoeuvres, known as “Operation Hal&o Vista”, only a few kilometres from our land and sea frontiers, in which members of the armed forces of the United States and Wnduras participated. / . s/15422 English Annex II Page 2 On 31 October 1981, we submitted a note commenting on the United States proposals. There were no more replies from the United States. Washington inexplicably withdrew from this exchange; needless to Bay, it gave no explanation of any kind. lhat was a signal for the bloody destabilising activities planned for the end of the year, known as "Navidad Poja". At the beginning of 1982 Nicaragua continued its efforts to achieve peace in the region, despite the fact that the Reagan Administration had approved SUS 19 million for the purpose of destabilising our country, and moreover violated our sovereignty, penetrating our air space and maritime space with dozens of spy flights and warships.
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