Nicaragua’s Record Indicates a Time for Caution, Reagan Says

President Reagan said today the record of Nicaragua’s Marxist-led government indicates “there is reason to have caution” that it may not live up to the cease-fire agreement reached with the U.S.-backed Contra rebels.

It was the first time Reagan had commented in any detail on the 60-day nationwide cease-fire, effective April 1, that was announced Wednesday after negotiations in Sapoa, Nicaragua.

“Of course we look forward to this and hope it continues, but . . . just as in some other meetings that have gone on in which I have been involved, I think that we should keep in mind that both parties must be dedicated to the things that are said and agreed to in those meetings,” the President said.

When a reporter said that it sounded as though he were suspicious that this would not be the case with the Sandinistas, Reagan replied, “I think there is reason to have caution--they have a past record that indicates that we should be.”

The exchange with reporters took place as Reagan was preparing to meet with visiting President Joaquin Balaguer of the Dominican Republic.

During his daily White House news briefing earlier, presidential spokesman Marlin Fitzwater told reporters “we are having discussions with the resistance leadership” about the new cease-fire plan.

“We’re very hopeful that it works,” Fitzwater said. “We want to do whatever we can to see that it works.”