The political, economic, and social problems of Central America during the past four years have at times threatened to escalate into a generalized conflict. Intense diplomatic efforts to find peaceful solutions to the crisis, however, have met with only limited success. Negotiations have collapsed amid bitter accusations of intransigence or bad faith, and some have taken place outside of public scrutiny, resulting in widespread confusion that has surrounded the entire peace process. This book is an effort by the Central American and Caribbean Program at the School of Advanced International Studies to shed light on the crucial roles of the Contadora Group (Colombia, Mexico, Panama, and Venezuela) in forging peace in the region. Containing a collection of nearly one hundred statements, declarations, proposals, resolutions, draft treaties, and official documents, it easily constitutes the most comprehensive reference work on the search for peace in Central America. In order to improve readability, slight adjustments have been made to some of the documents.

This book seeks to clarify U.S. security interests in Central America and reviews the evolution of U.S. foreign policy towards Central America. It summarizes the evolution of the Contadora process and U.S. attitudes towards the peace talks in Central America. .

The U.S. should continue to lend its firm support to these efforts to bring lasting peace to Central America. Its support for the Contadora process should also continue to stress the central importance of free and open elections in Nicaragua and of realistic verification measures to monitor compliance with the terms of the peace treaty. A regional peace agreement that does not include these realistic conditions will be merely a truce that confirms the status quo in the region. Diplomatic legerdemain cannot substitute for concrete measures that give substance to the peace agreement.

Overview of the work done to bring peace to Central America and the Canadian contribution to the process. Background information and an analysis are given for the Contadora peace initiative and the Arias peace plan. Parliamentary action in support for the Contadora initiative, reactions to the Esquipulas II accord, and the actions of the special committee of the House of Commons conclude the paper. A chronology of events is included.

International Peace Academy (IPA) har 1983-1985 afholdt en række workshops for at drøfte fredsmuligheder i Mellemamerika. Bogen beskriver fredsforslag på eksisterende konfliktområder.