Duarte, in U.S., Thanks Reagan for His Support

A week after winning his daughter’s freedom by negotiating with rebel insurgents, Salvadoran President Jose Napoleon Duarte visited Washington on Thursday to thank President Reagan for his “moral support” and to defend his controversial decision to deal directly with the guerrillas.

“I believe that human beings are more important than anything,” Duarte told a breakfast meeting of the National Press Club.

Duarte said he had the approval of his country’s National Assembly and Supreme Court as he tried to secure the release of his eldest daughter, Ines Guadalupe Duarte Duran, 35, who was kidnaped Sept. 10 with a woman companion, Ana Cecilia Villeda, from a private university in San Salvador . In exchange for the release of the two women and 23 kidnaped mayors and municipal officials, Duarte freed 22 political prisoners and provided safe passage out of the country for 96 guerrillas disabled in the war.

“We did what we had to do,” he said.

Duarte also assailed Nicaragua as a “sanctuary” for terrorists and said that during the negotiations with the rebels for his daughter’s freedom, “they consulted Managua to see what Managua had to say about it.”

No Retaliation

He also said that he had rejected the idea of retaliating against the rebels by capturing the families of guerrilla commanders. “I want the people in my country to be free, . . . to know the law is respected,” he said.

Duarte urged the U.S. press corps to assume “a responsible role” by not glorifying terrorists with excessive coverage. “We must remember that terrorists are not Robin Hoods,” he said. “They are not Joans of Arc. They are sick individuals acting diabolically against humanity.”

Duarte was accompanied by his daughter as he toured Washington, stopping in several Capitol Hill offices to shore up support among key congressmen for his government.

In a meeting at the White House, Duarte was assured of Reagan’s “unflagging support.” A White House spokesman said that the issue of negotiating with political terrorists did not come up.

Reagan told Duarte that he recently signed another presidential proclamation praising the steps Duarte’s government is taking to maintain democracy. The proclamation is required by the Congress as a condition for U.S. aid.

Counterterrorist aid

The Administration also has singled out El Salvador for $22 million in counterterrorist aid.

Duarte’s daughter, who greeted Reagan with a kiss on the cheek, was escorted out of the Oval Office when the meeting between her father and Reagan began.

Duarte Duran is said to be suffering from the so-called Stockholm Syndrome as a result of her 44-day captivity. The syndrome refers to a condition in which captives gradually become sympathetic to the goals and values of their captors.

Throughout the day here, Duarte shielded his daughter from questioning by the news media. But during his Press Club speech, Duarte Duran told a reporter sitting next to her: “I just want to forget a little.”

During her captivity, the rebels guarding her reportedly spent many hours talking with her. Duarte Duran, described as a politically aware person, has been the director of a pro-government radio station in El Salvador.

“They tried to destroy the link between her and me, but they did not succeed,” Duarte said in an emotional presentation at the Press Club.

Duarte said he has sought psychological help for his daughter. “We are taking her little by little back to normal,” he said.

As part of her rehabilitation, Duarte said, he plans to show her all the documents and intelligence on her kidnaping “so she will understand what really happened.”