Central America: Esquipulas Castaways

Central America: Esquipulas Castaways is an ambitious book, ideal for those interested in history and experience. It is also an indispensable tool for understanding what is happening in this part of the world today. In this abundant, complex, contradictory, ephemeral, warm and tragic book the subject matter is treated in three ways: national, thematic and chronological. With the help of a detailed contents page, maps, chronology, index and bibliography, the reader will be able to get the maximum from this book.

Maurice Lemoine, having had close attachments with Central America for nearly thirty years, describes not only the recent history of its seven countries (Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Salvador), but also that of the communities who have emigrated to the United States, and that of the Yankee North, which is so ubiquitous and disturbing. Nearer at hand, at both extremities of the central American isthmus, two other countries are playing in counterpoint: Mexico in its new role as interface with the developed world, and Colombia as a narcotic and hyper-violent counter model.

Since the Esquipulas agreements, signed in 1987, the construction of peace and democracy in Central America seems to have broken down. The latest directions in North American politics are in no way reassuring.