ABSTRACT
The search for peace in Central America has been marked by frustrated expectations and lost opportunities as well as important though limited achievements. Essentially a Latin American initiative, it has in certain respects challenged the military orientation of US policy. This chapter analyzes the Latin American initiatives for negotiations. It examines the development of such efforts from 1979 to mid-1987, describing their transformation over time from initiatives with a clear political definition to legal and diplomatic initiatives with little political content. The chapter also analyzes the limitations and achievements of the Contadora process. It comments on the future prospects for negotiation, taking into account the implications of the Iran-contra affair. The "natural culmination" of the Nicaraguan war on 19 July proved Castaneda right: the Sandinistas took power without ties to any other nation or compromises with the old regime. The international situation and the specific circumstances of each country fortuitously combined to facilitate the birth of Contadora.
