ABSTRACT
This chapter examines one kind of obstacle to the success of a negotiated settlement: the relations between the Central American countries themselves, and the position of the United States regarding its strategic concern for the region and its response to security threats. It aims to recapitulate and assess the whole process of negotiations and speculates on the future of Contadora. Events in Central America move at a rapid pace and their general trend is unclear, but they seem not to amount to any systematic improvement in the regional situation. The role of the Central American countries is crucial for the success of any lasting peace agreement. Relations between them and the Sandinistas turned tense soon after the latter came to power in July 1979. The US policy toward Central America has not been of one piece. The United States has consistently expressed support for the Contadora process, particularly when it was first launched.
