Latin America Region


1. Presidential Review Memorandum/NSC–17

Source: Carter Library, National Security Council, Institutional Files, 1977–1980, Box 2, PRM/NSC 1–24 [1]. Secret.


2. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski) to President Carter

Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Brzezinski Office File, Country Chron, Box 39, Peru, 1977. Secret. Sent for information. Carter initialed the top right-hand corner of the memorandum.


3. Article in the National Intelligence Daily Prepared by the Central Intelligence Agency

Source: Central Intelligence Agency, Office of Support Services (DI), Job 79T00975A, Box 299, Folder 1, National (Current) (Central) Intelligence Daily/Cable. Top Secret; [handling restriction and drafting information not declassified]. The information in this article was covered in the March 11 President’s Daily Brief. (Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, President’s Daily CIA Brief File, Box 1, 3/1/77–3/13/77)


4. Paper Prepared in the Department of State

Source: Carter Library, National Security Council, Institutional Files, 1977–1980, Box 60, PRC 008—Latin America—3/23/77. Secret. Borg forwarded to Brzezinski under a March 12 covering memorandum and noted that Vance requested that copies of the study be distributed to members of the PRC for use at the meeting scheduled for March 15 (postponed to March 24). See Document 7.


5. Memorandum From Robert Pastor of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)

Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, North/South, Pastor, Subject Files, Box 64, PRM–17 [Latin America]: 1/77–3/14/77. Confidential. Sent for information. Inderfurth and Brzezinski initialed the first page of the memorandum.


6. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassies in Paraguay, Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Uruguay and Chile

Source: Department of State, INR/IL Historical Files, Roger Channel, Asunción 1969–1979. Secret; Roger Channel. Drafted by Zimmermann, cleared by Luers and in INR/DDC/OP-F, and approved by McAfee.


7. Minutes of a Policy Review Committee Meeting

Source: Carter Library, National Security Council, Institutional Files, 1977–1980, Box 60, PRC 008—Latin America—3/23/77. Secret. The meeting took place in the White House Situation Room. Portions of the minutes are also printed in part in Foreign Relations, 1977–1980, vol. XXVI, Arms Control and Nonproliferation, Document 266.


8. Memorandum From Acting Secretary of State Christopher to President Carter

Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Subject File, Box 18, Evening Reports (State), 3/77. Secret. At the top right-hand corner of the memorandum, Carter wrote: “To Warren J.”


9. Paper Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency

Source: Central Intelligence Agency, Office of Support Services (DI), Job 78T02549A, Box 3, Folder 31, RP 77–10090: Soviet Interest in Latin America. Secret; [handling restriction not declassified]


10. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski) to Multiple Recipients

Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Agency File, Box 4, Defense Department, 4–5/77. No classification marking. Brzezinski sent the memorandum to Vance, Blumenthal, Brown, Bell, Lance, Warnke, and Strauss.


11. Report Prepared in the Department of State

Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Trip File, Box 29, Mrs. Carter, Latin America and the Caribbean, 5/30–6/13/77: 3/24/77–6/16/77. Confidential. Drafted by Hyman and Estep. Forwarded to Brzezinski under a May 5 covering memorandum from Pastor, who recommended that the report be sent to Mrs. Carter in preparation for her trip to the region. Brzezinski approved the recommendation. (Ibid.) An attached NSC Correspondence Profile indicates that Inderfurth “apparently” forwarded the report to the First Lady. (Ibid.)


12. Paper Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency

Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, North/South, Pastor, Subject Files, Box 65, Terrorism, 5/77–1/78. Secret; [handling restriction not declassified] No drafting information appears on the paper. In the top right-hand corner of the first page, Pastor wrote: “File Terrorism.”


13. Memorandum From the Executive Secretary of the Department of State (Tarnoff) to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)

Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, North/South, Pastor, Subject Files, Box 55, Human Rights, 1–5/77. Confidential. No drafting information appears on the memorandum. According to another copy of the memorandum, it was drafted by Lister on April 27 and cleared in draft by Todman and Schneider. (National Archives, RG 59, Warren Christopher Papers, Lot 81D113, Box 17, Human Rights-Latin America) Pastor forwarded to Brzezinski under a May 16 covering memorandum, and recommended that Brzezinski send the memorandum to Carter and the First Lady. There is no indication of approval or disapproval of the recommendation. (Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, North/South, Pastor, Subject Files, Box 55, Human Rights, 1–5/77) For the CIA’s assessment of the impact of U.S. human rights policy, see Foreign Relations, 1977–80, vol. II, Human Rights, Document 42.


14. Memorandum From Acting Secretary of State Christopher to President Carter

Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Subject File, Box 18, Evening Reports (State), 5/77. Secret. Carter initialed the first page of the memorandum. Vance was in Geneva to meet with Gromyko.


15. Memorandum From Robert Pastor of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)

Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Country File, Box 58, Organization of American States, 5/77–1/81. Confidential. Sent for action. On the first page of the memorandum, Aaron wrote, “ZB—See my comments. DA.” Dodson also initialed the memorandum.


16. Paper Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency

Source: Central Intelligence Agency, Office of Support Services (DI), Job 78T02549A, Box 3, Folder 136, RP 77–10129: Human Rights in the Southern Cone of Latin America. Confidential. [drafting information not declassified]


17. Telegram From the Department of State to All American Republic Diplomatic Posts

Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D770203–0746. Confidential; Priority; Exdis. Drafted by Einaudi; cleared in S/S-O and in draft by Devine, Rogers, White, Schneider, Feinberg, Barnebey, and Zimmermann; approved by Luers.


18. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski) to Secretary of State Vance, Secretary of Defense Brown, and Director of Central Intelligence Turner

Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Country File, Box 58, Organization of American States, 5/77–1/81. Confidential. For the origins of this document, see Document 15.


19. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski) to President Carter

Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Trip File, Box 29, Mrs. Carter, Latin America and the Caribbean, 5/30–6/13/77: 3/24/77–6/16/77. Confidential. Sent for information. In the top right-hand corner of the memorandum, Carter wrote, “To Zbig, Cy. C.” Pastor sent this memorandum to Brzezinski under a June 16 covering memorandum in which he recommended that Brzezinski sign the memorandum to Carter. (Ibid.)


20. Intelligence Memorandum Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency

Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Country File, Box 58, Organization of American States, 5/77–1/81. Secret. No drafting information appears on the memorandum.


21. Memorandum From the Executive Secretary of the Department of State (Tarnoff) to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)

Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, Freedom of Information/Legal, Box 25, Latin America, 2/68–12/78. Confidential. Pastor forwarded the memorandum and attachment under a July 20 covering memorandum to Thornton, Tuchman, Denend, Hormats, and Huberman. (Ibid.)


22. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski) to President Carter

Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Country File, Box 47, Latin America: Bilateral Meetings Decision Memoranda, 9/77. Confidential. On a different copy, the memorandum is dated August 31, 1977. (Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, North/South, Pastor, Subject Files, Box 65, Territorial Disputes, 4/77–12/78)


23. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski) to President Carter

Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Brzezinski Office File, Country Chron, Box 27, Latin America 9–12/77. Confidential. Carter initialed the first page of the memorandum.


24. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski) to President Carter

Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Brzezinski Office File, Country Chron, Box 27, Latin America, 9–12/77. Confidential. Sent for action. At the top of the memorandum, Carter wrote, “Zbig—ok—except Bolivia—The verbiage is excessive. Did Fallows ok them? (3 or 4 ‘I was pleased’ in Suárez letter) JC.”


25. Memorandum From Robert Pastor of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)

Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Trip File, Box 11, President, Latin America and Africa, 3/28/78–4/3/78: 10/7/77–1/31/78. Confidential. Sent for action. At the top of the memorandum, Brzezinski wrote, “RP, give me a revised memo to Jim Schl (copy to Vance) urging once more the Ven. talks. If he doesn’t react (and pt. out that I wrote earlier) I will go to the P. ZB.” Inderfurth also initialed the first page of the memorandum. In a January 24 memorandum to Pastor and Richardson, Brzezinski wrote, “With reference to the forthcoming trip, I think it is extremely important that we now develop plans for specific and concrete actions which could be associated with the trip: agreements to be signed, initiatives to announce, joint statements, etc. Please develop an initial scenario and consult with me within a week.” (Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, North/South, Pastor, Subject Files, Box 63, President’s Visit to Brazil and Venezuela [3/78], 1–5/78)


26. Address by the Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs (Todman)

Source: National Archives, RG 59, Office of the Secretariat Staff, Records of Cyrus Vance, Secretary of State, 1977–80, Lot 84D241, Human Rights. No classification marking. Todman spoke before members of the Center for Inter-American Relations.


28. Briefing Memorandum From the Director of the Policy Planning Staff (Lake) to Secretary of State Vance

Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, P780046–0321. Secret; Limdis. Drafted by Feinberg on February 24. A stamped notation indicates that Vance saw the memorandum.


29. Memorandum From Robert Pastor of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)

Source: Carter Library, National Security Council, Institutional Files, 1977–1980, Box 38, PRM–17 [2]. No classification marking. Copies were sent to Erb, Mathews, and Denend. Inderfurth and Hunter initialed the memorandum. At the top of the memorandum, Brzezinski wrote: “Good memo base PRC discussion. ZB.”


30. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Subject File, Box 36, Memcons: President, 6–7/78. Confidential. The meeting was held in the El Panama Hotel.