Ortega accepts S.F. Mobilization invitation
1986 1986-11Read it in the scan (PDF at ETOL), page 9 →
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SOCIALIST ACTION NOVEMBER 1986 By MACKLER Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega has accepted an invitation to participate in a public discussion in San Francisco with U.S. President Ronald Reagan on the subject of "The Road to Peace in Central America.
The discussion proposal was initiated by the Mobilization for Peace, Jobs and Justice, a broad coalition of church, labor, and community organizations in the Northern California area.
The objective of the discussion, according to the letter sent to both presidents, is to permit "the people of both countries to hear a frank exchange about issues that, in the future, may well have a profound effect on their lives."
The invitation, which was sent in early October, was signed by seven U.S. Nobel Laureates; Congressman Ronald Dellums; John Henning, secretary treasurer of the California Labor Federation (AFL-CIO); and James Herman, president of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU).
"The fact that this initiative derives from a broad source of distinguished personalities and representatives of the North-American people," Ortega wrote in an Oct. 15 response to the Mobilization, "attaches overriding importance to an event of this nature.
In a press statement released on Oct. 24, Al Lannon, president of ILWU Local 6 and one of the coordinators of the Mobilization, stated that "If President Reagan agrees, it would be the first meeting between the two leaders." But Lannon continued, "Unfortunately, no word has been received from President Reagan."
The proposal called for the discussion to take place between Nov. 10 and Dec. 16. If Reagan does not accept the invitation, top Nicaraguan officials have indicated they would be available for comment and would be willing to hook up a TV-satellite communication with Ortega.