ABSTRACT
In the beginning, the United States government deliberately suspended its suspicions about the Sandinistas; three years later, the United States wanted to believe and publicize the worst charges against the Sandinistas. Despite mutual suspicions, or rather because of them, both governments initially sought to construct a non-hostile relationship. Such a relationship was motivated more by fear than respect, but it represented a genuine and reciprocal effort nonetheless. Deciding on a policy toward the United States could not have been easy. The Sandinistas, including Pastora, had felt that they had been fighting the United States for as long as they had been fighting Somoza. They knew, and expected, the Carter Administration to try to prevent them from coming to power, and indeed, were surprised that they succeeded. Jimmy Carter concluded by referring to the anti-American statements that Ortega and other leaders had made, and said that good relations are difficult to establish in the light of such statements.
