U.S. Belittles New Nicaragua Peace Initiative

Led by Vice President George Bush, the Reagan Administration belittled Nicaragua’s latest peace initiative as insignificant Thursday but contended that for the Sandinista regime even to announce the plan proves the success of U.S. policy in Central America.

Administration spokesmen maintained that Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega’s offer is evidence that support for the leftist Managua government is declining among Nicaragua’s citizens, that the nation’s economy is collapsing under the weight of militarism and that the people hunger for democracy.

“His (Ortega’s) so-called peace initiative--he’s not doing it simply because he’s fat and happy down there. . . . He recognizes there is a wave of change within Central America, and he is seeking to see he does not become a part of it,” asserted White House spokesman Larry Speakes, stepping up the Administration’s tough anti-Sandinista rhetoric of the past two weeks.

‘Sophisticated Offensive’

“For some reason, he has launched what appears to be a fairly sophisticated offensive to influence the United States Congress,” Speakes said.

On Wednesday, Ortega offered to send 100 Cuban military advisers home, declare a moratorium on acquisition of new weapons systems and allow U.S. congressmen to visit Nicaraguan military bases “without restrictions.” The Sandinista leader said his immediate goal is to resume U.S.-Nicaraguan peace talks, broken off last month by the Administration.

What Speakes characterized as “the definitive Administration response” was delivered Thursday by Bush before the Austin, Tex., Council on Foreign Affairs. In an unprecedented move, the vice presidential address was piped into the White House press room and a transcript of his remarks was distributed here. In many respects, Bush’s comments mirrored those of Speakes.

But even as the vice president and the presidential spokesman dismissed Ortega’s overtures as non-substantive, Secretary of State George P. Shultz was quoted in Ecuador as expressing a willingness to meet with the Nicaraguan leader today in Montevideo, Uruguay, and to discuss his ideas. Both men will be in the Uruguayan capital to attend the inauguration of President Julio Maria Sanguinetti.

Citing U.S. efforts to strengthen struggling democracies in Central America, and referring to Ortega’s peace initiative, Bush declared that “something must be working when changes like this--if indeed they are changes--occur.”

“On the face of it,” Bush continued, “offering to remove about 1% of the Cuban presence or to pause in their imports of arms, which they acknowledge could not be absorbed at this time, do not appear to represent significant moves. But it is relevant to ask why they bother.

“Is it because Nicaraguan young men are refusing to serve in the army out of revulsion at their government’s policies and are joining the (U.S.-backed) resistance? Is it because of the outrage being expressed by the (Roman Catholic) church in Nicaragua? Is it because of the collapse of their economy under the weight of Sandinista militarism and corruption? Is it because their people see what is going on in neighboring countries and want it for themselves?”

Then, answering his own rhetorical questions, Bush added: “Perhaps it is because of all these reasons. Perhaps it is because (U.S. economic and military aid) is working. Perhaps it is because the struggling freedom fighters appeal to the people of Nicaragua. Whatever the cause, we would surely welcome genuine Nicaraguan interest in peace.

“All we are asking is that the Sandinistas commit themselves to specific, concrete actions that would show their good-faith interest in peace, . . . stop exporting subversion to their neighbors, reduce their bloated military to restore regional balance, sever military ties with Cuba and the Soviet Bloc and begin to honor their promises to the Organization of American States to create a democratic, pluralistic system.”

Bush’s reference to “1% of the Cuban presence” in Nicaragua apparently referred to American estimates that there are about 10,000 Cubans in the Central American country. The CIA has said that about 2,000 of them are military advisers and the rest are understood to be mostly teachers and medical personnel. The Managua government has publicly acknowledged having only about 200 Cuban advisers.

Defending the Administration’s support of the anti-Sandinista guerrillas who are attempting to overthrow the Nicaraguan government by force, Bush said: “The tyrants aren’t shy about supporting communism and subversion. Why should the democratic countries hesitate in their support of freedom?”

However, in urging public support for the Administration’s uphill efforts to persuade Congress to authorize $14 million in aid for the rebels, Bush said there is an “urgent question” of “how long the democratic resistance can survive the Sandinista (military) assaults if the United States refuses to give any aid.” Congress last year cut off U.S. funds for the guerrillas, known as contras.