Office of the Historian

209. Telegram From the Embassy in Peru to the Department of State1

Lima, May 3, 1982, 1434Z

4515. Subject: End of the Peruvian Initiative.

1. (C–Entire text).

2. At 2345 EDT2 President Belaunde telephoned me to advise me he had just finished speaking with President Galtieri. He reported that Galtieri stated that the Argentine Government was prepared to study the Peruvian peace proposal with serenity and thoroughness. However, Galtieri said that owing to the quote unspeakable unquote British military actions of today’s date, specifically the torpedoing and presumed destruction of the Argentine flagship “Belgrano”3 there was nothing left for Argentina to discuss. All that remained was to fight.

3. President Belaunde said that with this message from President Galtieri he considered the Peruvian peace initiative to be terminated. The President said it was very lamentable that the British actions should have occurred when serious negotiations were underway with a high chance for success. He condemned the UK’s attacks and said they would enflame the Hemisphere.

4. Belaunde plans to call the Secretary to advise him directly of the termination of his efforts.4

Ortiz
  1. Source: Reagan Library, Executive Secretariat, NSC Cable File, Falkland File 05/03/1982. Confidential; Sensitive; Flash; Nodis. Printed from a copy that was received in the White House Situation Room.↩
  2. May 2.↩
  3. See Document 208.↩
  4. See Document 211. Before talking with Belaúnde on May 3 (see Document 211) Haig met Inman for a breakfast meeting in which they discussed “at great length” the “potential mediation efforts via the U.N. Secretary General and the Peruvians.” According to the memorandum for the record of the breakfast, produced by the CIA, the discussion concluded that the “battles over the weekend appear to have thrown cold water on any of these efforts which may not have had any real chance of success in any case.” (Memorandum for the Record, May 3; Central Intelligence Agency, Office of the Director of Central Intelligence, Job 89B00224R: Committees, Task Forces, Boards, and Councils Files, Box 11, Folder 406: Memos for the Record of Mtgs w/Sec and DepSec of State (Apr 81–Dec 85))↩