Days of Tranquility and Ambassador Pickering : Agop Kayayan

Editor's Note: This article by Agop Kayayan ties to an earlier article about Ambassador Pickering by Kul Gautam. Click here

On one of his many visits to El Salvador Jim asked me to accompany him to the US embassy.  Ambassador Pickering was in the American Ambassador in El Salvador when the Days of Tranquility happened. 

The Days of Tranquility were not so easy to negotiate. Each time we had to bring up the issue to both sides. Usually, the Minister of Health was in charge of the consultation with the military. We were in contact with the Archbishop of San Salvador basically to receive the positive or negative answer of the opposition FMLN.

On one occasion the FMLN sent a positive answer through the Archbishop’s office. The Minister asked me to ask directly the chief of staff of the army about their position. The general in charge was obviously not in the mood to answer.  Each time the soldier who was his secretary gave me the usual messages of the general being in a meeting, travelling, and similar excuses.

Come Wednesday we were getting very nervous. Hernan Jaramillo was in charge of all the necessary measures to assure the timely preparation. 

Finally on Wednesday, before the weekend days of tranquility I decided to do the last ditch option of seeing the US Ambassador. It was the same ambassador who had received Jim Grant. At that time a visit to the US embassy was not advisable unless strictly necessary. I did not dream that I would visit it twice. At the first meeting I was not very excited about the visit. This time I needed badly the intervention of the Embassy with the Chief of Staff. I asked for a meeting and was given an appointment immediately. 

I was surprised at the very quick positive answer. I did not know at the time how wise and helpful Jim was, even when he was not present in the country. He had dragged me to the first visit to the Ambassador with an undeclared intention. 

So here is this short, heavy belly, Lebanese guy wanting the Ambassador to intervene, and yet knowing that diplomatically it would be a mistake. So I am sitting on a chair telling the Ambassador about all the benefits of immunization and how both sides of the conflict were benefiting politically with the Days of Tranquility. After I repeated myself about three times I was getting desperate, 

Finally the Ambassador turns to me and with a light smile asking me “Would you like me to call the Chief of Staff?” I put my two hands together and said “Please Ambassador”. He asked me to call the Chief of Staff the next morning. 

I did not need to, he called me. That scene is one of the things I want to include in the documentary to bring to the attention of young or not so young people from organizations like UNICEF to pay attention to diplomatic issues, among others. Those things are not taught in college, neither in organizations.

Best wishes, Agop Kayayan