Ortega: "This Is the Limit"

By John Moody

Daniel Ortega Saavedra had one of the busiest weeks of his life last week. He spent the first few days in Moscow, attending the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution and meeting with Soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev. Then, as Ortega was flying home, his wife Rosario Murillo gave birth to the couple's seventh child and first daughter. On Thursday night Ortega delivered what he described as the most difficult speech of his career, a 50-minute oration in which he offered to negotiate a cease-fire with the contras. The next day Ortega met in his Managua office with TIME Correspondent John Moody. Excerpts:

On his speech. I think that the people who came were expecting something different. Perhaps they expected us to take a totally closed position. The cease-fire negotiations were the most difficult part, because it was necessary to make very clear to the people that what's not involved is a political dialogue. We are against a political dialogue. That is an unchanging position.

On future concessions. These measures mark the limit. Beyond these, we would be going too far, affecting the credibility of the government with the Nicaraguan people.

On the peace process. You get the impression that only Nicaragua is obligated to comply, and only it is being publicly singled out, and not Honduras, where there are contra bases, or Costa Rica, where contra leaders live and where armed groups are launching attacks against Nicaragua. This is prohibited by the accord.

On the U.S. The first message is the massive number ((an estimated 50,000)) of people who came to hear my speech. President Reagan should take this into account. Any military option would be met with the armed resistance of the entire people. The other message is that Nicaragua is willing to live up to the peace accord.

On whether Nicaragua is playing for time. That idea is unfounded. Look at the facts. The measures we announced yesterday are proof. The amnesty and the lifting of the state of emergency will not be determined by us, but by the international verification commission that has been set up by the Arias accord.

On possible amnesty for former national guardsmen. We have stuck firmly to the position that the amnesty does not cover Somoza's guardsmen. They are not covered because they committed notorious crimes.

On future progress. So far, there has been an overall advance. The Central American governments still have disagreements, and sometimes we make statements that make it sound as if the whole agreement is going down the drain. But the desire for peace once again wins out.