ABSTRACT
This chapter presents an overview of the regional security issues and the foreign policy actions of the governments of Central America as they face the present crisis in the region. The nations of Central America individually and collectively face economic and security problems which have a direct impact on their domestic and foreign policies. National security is usually understood in terms of defense of the national boundaries of soverign territory. The national security concerns and subsequent foreign policy actions of all the nations of Central America have been directly or indirectly affected by the conflicts in El Salvador and Nicaragua and the United States government's response to those conflicts. The impact of the political turmoil in these two nations has regionalized the conflict as guerrilla activity and subsequent refugee migration have affected all of the Central American nations.
