CONFIDENTIAL
BACKGROUND BRIEF ON REFUGEES IN CENTRAL AMERICA:
GENERAL CAUSES OF REFUGEE PROBLEMS AND CONTENTIOUS POLITICAL ISSUES
Briet ( (1)
INTRODUCTION
The five Central American states are Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Guatemala.
1.
Of these, Costa Rica, with no standing army, is the only country with a long history of stable democratic government. El Salvador, Nicaragua and Guatemala have suffered from insurgency movements for several years: El Salvador and Guatemala from left-wing insurgents based within their own borders; Nicaragua from the US-backed "contras", based largely in neighbouring
from Honduras, but operating also, though on a much smaller scale,
Costa Rica.
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BRITISH POLICY
2.
British policy towards Central America is based on support, with our EC partners, for the efforts of the Contadora Group (Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia and Panama) to resolve regional tensions by means of a negotiated agreement based on the 21 Contadora objectives agreed between the five Central American states in 1983. The Contadora negotiations remain stalemated since 7 June when the Group tabled a revised final agreement. The Group are uncertain how to proceed due to significant differences between the Central American states and following a US decision to provide $100 million aid to the contras ($70 million is for military aid).
3. Britain and the Twelve have consistently made clear their belief that the problems of the region cannot be resolved by armed force. (However, British Ministers have been careful to avoid direct public criticism of US support for the contras.) The British Government have expressed concern over many of Nicaragua's actions and called on the Nicaraguan Government to adopt a genuine pluralist democratic system, to reduce its arms and troop levels and stop supporting subversion of its neighbours. In El Salvador, the British Government have expressed support for President Duarte's efforts to strengthen democracy, end human rights abuses and seek national reconciliation. In general, Britain's position is in line with the Twelve on major issues in the
/region
CONFIDENTIAL