Report Outline
Special Focus
Introduction
President Bush is dealing with Central America in a much different way from his predecessor. His administration has forged a bipartisan contra-aid package with Congress, it has consulted with American allies, and it has even allowed the Central American countries themselves to take a leading role in a regional peace process. But fighting continues in many places, and as long as it does, Central America cannot hope to deal effectively with its disastrous economic condition.
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Overview
On the campaign trail in 1988, candidate George Bush offered nary a word of disagreement with the Central America policies of his predecessor, Ronald Reagan. He would, he indicated, build on Reagan's “successes.” But the early indications from President George Bush are that—in important respects—he intends to pursue a very different approach toward that part of the world. Bush has, for all intents and purposes, scrapped the Reagan administration's seven-year military effort to topple the Marxist government of Nicaragua. And he has taken a much more flexible approach to the problem of the Third World's massive debt.
The Bush administration has handled things in a much different political way, too. Where the Reagan administration often moved unilaterally, and sometimes secretly, the Bush administration appears to be reaching out to include nearly everyone in its foreign policy initiatives—Congress, allies in Central America and the rest of Latin America, other industrialized countries, even the Soviet Union. On the domestic front, the Reagan administration's policies divided the American electorate into pro- and anti-contra aid camps. That led to a major split with Congress and prevented the United States from speaking with one voice on Central America. By contrast, the first aim of Bush's secretary of state, James A. Baker III, was to forge a bipartisan consensus in Congress on Central America: an agreement for continued non-military U.S. aid to the contras (at least until Nicaragua holds presidential elections in February), while giving Congress an interim, informal veto power if the Bush administration undermines a comprehensive peace plan drawn up by five Central American presidents. |
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Sep. 14, 2018 |
Turmoil in Central America |
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Jun. 05, 2012 |
China in Latin America |
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Mar. 2008 |
The New Latin America |
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Jul. 21, 2006 |
Change in Latin America |
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Mar. 14, 2003 |
Trouble in South America |
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Nov. 09, 2001 |
U.S.- Mexico Relations |
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Sep. 19, 1997 |
Mexico's Future |
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Jul. 19, 1991 |
Mexico's Emergence |
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May 05, 1989 |
New Approach to Central America |
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Mar. 06, 1987 |
Soviets' Latin Influence |
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Dec. 26, 1986 |
Pinochet's Chile |
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Nov. 08, 1985 |
Troubled Mexico |
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Apr. 10, 1981 |
Latin American Challenges |
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May 05, 1978 |
Central America and the U.S.A. |
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Sep. 23, 1977 |
Mexican-U.S. Relations |
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Jun. 04, 1976 |
Relations with Latin America |
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Oct. 21, 1970 |
Chile's Embattled Democracy |
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Jun. 24, 1970 |
Mexico's Election and the Continuing Revolution |
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Apr. 02, 1969 |
Economic Nationalism in Latin America |
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Jul. 19, 1967 |
Guerrilla Movements in Latin America |
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Dec. 28, 1966 |
Militarism in Latin America |
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Oct. 20, 1965 |
Common Market for Latin America |
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Aug. 04, 1965 |
Smoldering Colombia |
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Jun. 23, 1965 |
Inter-American Peacekeeping |
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Dec. 11, 1963 |
Progress of the Alianza |
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Oct. 05, 1962 |
Arms Aid to Latin America |
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Dec. 13, 1961 |
Land and Tax Reform in Latin America |
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Jul. 26, 1961 |
Commodity Agreements for Latin America |
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Jan. 11, 1961 |
Revolution in the Western Hemisphere |
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Feb. 10, 1960 |
Inter-American System |
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Feb. 10, 1960 |
Inter-American System |
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Jan. 13, 1960 |
Expropriation in Latin America |
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Jul. 02, 1958 |
Economic Relations with Latin America |
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Mar. 02, 1954 |
Communism in Latin America |
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Jun. 20, 1952 |
Political Unrest in Latin America |
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Sep. 18, 1950 |
War Aid from Latin America |
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Oct. 31, 1947 |
Arming the Americas |
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Jul. 24, 1946 |
Inter-American Security |
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Jan. 02, 1942 |
Latin America and the War |
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Jul. 10, 1941 |
Export Surpluses and Import Needs of South America |
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Jun. 04, 1941 |
Economic Defense of Latin America |
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Jun. 25, 1940 |
Politics in Mexico |
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Nov. 01, 1939 |
Pan American Political Relations |
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Oct. 10, 1939 |
United States Trade with Latin America |
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Apr. 07, 1938 |
Protection of American Interests in Mexico |
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Mar. 04, 1936 |
Peace Machinery in the Americas |
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Sep. 27, 1933 |
Trade Relations with Latin America |
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Oct. 16, 1928 |
Pan American Arbitration Conference |
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Jan. 12, 1928 |
The Sixth Pan American Conference |
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Jan. 10, 1927 |
American Policy in Nicaragua |
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Dec. 27, 1926 |
Relations Between Mexico and the United States |
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