Nicaraguan Agrees to Go as Ordered

Nicaraguan Ambassador Carlos Tunnermann, ending three days of uncertainty, said today that he will comply with President Reagan’s expulsion order and leave the United States.

Tunnermann made his announcement less than three hours before the 5:30 p.m. EDT State Department-imposed deadline for him to leave the country.

At the same time, Tunnermann said Nicaragua plans to take its case against the U.S. expulsion order to the legal committee of the Organization of American States.

He said that OAS ambassadors should be protected against “arbitrary treatment” by the United States. Tunnermann serves both as ambassador to the United States and to the OAS.

Tunnermann told reporters that he will continue in his capacity as the OAS ambassador even though his expulsion from Washington means that he cannot remain in the U.S. capital.

Guaranteed a Hearing

If Tunnermann had chosen to stay, he would have become an illegal alien but would have been protected by U.S. law from summary expulsion and guaranteed a hearing.

Asked why he did not defy the expulsion order, Tunnermann said, “We think the U.S. Administration could have used this as an argument against us to continue its aggression against our people.”

Tunnermann rejected the U.S. charges that he had abused his privileges of residence in the United States.

He said he had made a lot of friends in the United States and added: “We think that in the near future, someday, we will have normal relations with this country.”

Tunnermann said he planned to take an afternoon flight to Mexico. However, his wife and seven children will remain in the Washington area.

Not Affected by Order

She also is attached to Nicaragua’s OAS mission and is not affected by the expulsion order.

Reagan on Tuesday had given Tunnermann and seven fellow Nicaraguan diplomats 72 hours to leave the country in retaliation for Managua’s expulsion of the U.S. ambassador to Nicaragua, Richard Melton, and seven diplomats on Monday.

Earlier today, Reagan said he expected Tunnermann to comply with the expulsion order by the deadline.

Asked what the U.S. government would do if Tunnermann defied the deadline, Reagan told reporters, “We’re expecting him to leave at that hour. Beyond that hour, he is here illegally.”

“I don’t know where he’ll hide,” the President added, indicating that the government would enforce its expulsion order if necessary. “He’s illegally here beyond that period of time. We expect him to be going to the airport or to leave.”