The Negotiation Process of the Contadora Group

Throughout the nineteen eighties, Central America was the scene of multiple conflicts that triggered armed strugglesin various countries, the effects of which spilled over across the region. Rodrigo Páez Montalbán notes how the Contadora Group formed by Colombia, Mexico, Panama and Venezuela —which took its name from the Panamanian island where the group was created— was set up as a diplomatic endeavor to contribute to the solution for peace being negotiated between all parties to the conflict. After ascertaining the complex political processes that existed in Central America, and concerned by foreign interference in these processes and the ruling out of the use of force in resolving the crisis, the Group undertook a monumental task of diplomatic containment that succeeded in getting the governments of Central American around the negotiating table. This complex process triggered the signing of the Accords for the establishment of a firm and lasting peace, with the initiative being left in the hands of these same Central American governments. Páez Montalbán describes the nature, circumstances, complexities and achievements of the Contadora Group within this complex negotiating environment and further highlights Mexico’s strong voice in these endeavors.