ABSTRACT
With the fundamental redefinition of sovereignty, Nicaragua and Mexico mapped the exit from the whirlpool and made possible the modernization of US–Latin American relations. The conceptual boundary that has separated sovereign rights from human rights has often been defined by the most nationalistic regimes. This chapter describes the events leading to the Nicaraguan precedent of redefining political sovereignty and the Mexican model of redefining economic sovereignty, and then explores the significance of two cases for the emerging inter-American community. The most positive element of the George Bush administration's policy was that it offered space for others to negotiate the rules for a free election in Nicaragua. Nicaraguan election was watched by more foreign observers and correspondents than any independent country had ever hosted. The indirect exchange between Ortega and Chamorro in the early hours of February 26 was the first time in Nicaraguan history that the government and the opposition had sought ways to reassure each other and the nation.
