Word: sandinistas
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...Reagan Administration shuffled its lineup of Central American policymakers, the most controversial aspect of that policy seemed to be producing signs of an opportunity for diplomatic movement. Harassed by U.S.-backed guerrillas operating along its borders, the Marxist-led Sandinista government of Nicaragua gave subtle hints that it might be willing to make a deal. The suggestion was made by Sandinista Leaders Daniel Ortega Saavedra and Sergio Ramirez Mercado in interviews with TIME (see box), and was embedded in the usual condemnations of U.S. policy. Ortega and Ramirez not only restated Nicaragua's longstanding willingness to link...
...congressional ruckus was symptomatic of a rising climate in Washington of suspicion and concern about the Reagan Administration's tactics in dealing with Nicaragua. The Administration has long charged the Sandinista regime with funneling arms to and fomenting revolution in neighboring El Salvador at the behest of Cuba and the Soviet Union. The White House has continuously vowed to halt that activity by any means possible. Among those means has been backing the contras, on the grounds that their function has been to interdict the flow of arms from Nicaragua...
...Department attempted to back up its claims of Nicaraguan aid to the Salvadoran rebels by releasing its second White Paper in two years on the subject (the first was issued in February 1981). Once again Washington asserted that Cuba, with Soviet help, was trying to "consolidate control of the Sandinista directorate in Nicaragua and to overthrow the governments of El Salvador and Guatemala...
...official in Central America who is intimately involved with the covert operation says, "So far, they're doing better than expected, but in limited geographic areas." This official argues that the growing strength of the contras provides an effective way for the U.S. to apply pressure on the Sandinista government to end its backing of rebels in El Salvador. Agrees a senior State Department official in Washington: "Now we have got an element of reciprocity that gives Nicaragua an incentive to sit down and talk. We've got some bargaining chips: you call off your dogs...
...moment, the paramilitary pressure being brought to bear on Nicaragua seems to be working. The Sandinista leaders have recently shown a willingness to negotiate. Moreover, it is a sign to friend and foe alike that the U.S. is prepared to draw the line against the spread of Marxist-Leninist revolution. But as usual, covert action carries heavy risks. For one, the operation could prove unsuccessful, leaving a sediment of anti-American feelings. For another, the domestic debate over covert action is costing Reagan valuable political capital. The question now is whether the U.S. can sustain its covert operation long enough...