While they may never be fast friends, Nicaragua and Costa Rica moved last week to ease the border tensions that threatened to destroy their already edgy relations. The two countries agreed to form a joint patrol of their 225-mile frontier to prevent clashes between Sandinista forces and U.S.-backed contras based in Costa Rica. The arrangement is designed to avoid incidents like the shooting deaths of two Costa Rican guardsmen last May, which resulted in abruptly severed diplomatic relations. Reason: San Jose blamed the violence on Sandinista troops, while Managua blamed the contras.
The border agreement follows the election last month of...
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