Diary Entry - 03/14/1982
Key Facts
Mexico is authorized by the Reagan administration to make proposals for renormalizing US relations with Cuba and Nicaragua.
In Guatemala in Cuarto Pueblo 309 villagers were killed over three days by government troops.
Met with leaders of Business Round Table. The press had portrayed them as opposed now to our Ec. program. Not true. They do want some mid-course alterations to jar the financial world out of its fear of inflation (renewed) which is keeping int. rates high. They dont want a change in direction. They feel as I do that the Nat. T.V. news & the media in general is adding to the problem by its constant drum beat of stories (not really news) on how bad things are. Pres. Mitterrand of France flew in just for the day—on the Concorde. We had good discussion & I convinced him to suspend shipment of weapons to Nicaragua until his & our Ambassadors there can get together. Ours will brief him on our evidence of Soviet & Cuban involvement there. We got along fine but the Press tried to make it sound as if we are at odds. Then Camp David. There are still snow patches but the weekend was nice (50+ degrees). We took walks Sat. & Sun. I finished my speeches for Ala., Tenn. & Okla. It was nice to sleep in & keep no schedule. Saw 2 movies, “Shoot the Moon,” & “Evil Under the Sun.” Helicopter had to stall coming home—it seems security was checking on a couple of individuals & waved us off by radio.
