Reagan Vows to Consult Latins on Contra Aid

President Reagan pledged today to consult personally with the presidents of Central American democracies before approving arms and ammunition for Nicaraguan rebels as part of a $36.2-million aid package he is requesting.

Appearing before the Reserve Officers Assn. to press for renewal of U.S. assistance to the Contra rebels battling Nicaragua’s Marxist-led Sandinista government, Reagan said, “I did not come to Washington to preside over the communization of Central America.”

Reagan’s speech coincided with the submission to Congress of his request for the aid package, which includes $3.6 million for replenishment of stocks of ammunition and shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles.

The rest would be for logistical and other supplies classified by the Administration as non-lethal.

The lethal portion would be held in abeyance until March 31 and not released unless the President certifies that “the steps taken by the Sandinistas were irreversible steps to democracy in Nicaragua,” the President said.

“In reaching this judgment, I will personally consult the presidents of the four Central American democracies,” he said.

Language Suggested

House Republican leader Robert H. Michel of Illinois had told reporters that some such language would be added to the President’s speech to make the package more palatable to some legislators who are reluctant to have the determination made by the President alone.

“It is clear that the pressure of the Nicaraguan freedom fighters has forced the Sandinistas to pull back from aggression against their neighbors and to think twice about their continued domestic repression,” Reagan said.

He pledged to pursue diplomatic avenues for a settlement but added, “Success at the negotiating table depends on continued support for the Nicaraguan freedom fighters.”

Earlier, House Speaker Jim Wright of Texas had predicted that Reagan’s proposal for $36.2 million in new aid to the rebels would be rejected by the House because $3.6 million of the amount is earmarked for weapons.

At the same time, Democrats began laying plans for a purely “humanitarian” aid package for the Contras, to include food, medical supplies and clothing, which could be presented as an alternative to the Administration plan and make it easier for some fence-sitting lawmakers to vote against the President’s plan.