Central America Contra Countdown

Ortega and Reagan duel as Congress prepares to vote on aid

Suddenly, the Sandinistas were on the offensive, lobbing peace grenades in the general direction of Washington. A Nicaraguan government delegation showed up in Costa Rica a full week ahead of schedule for face-to-face talks with the U.S.-backed contras. When the rebel leaders dismissed the offer as a publicity stunt and refused to begin talks prematurely, the Sandinistas hurled another surprise. They called for an international commission to monitor Nicaragua's compliance with a Central American peace plan. The panel would include not only representatives from the Organization of American States, Socialist International and the United Nations but also members of the U.S....

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