Central America Cursed Are the Peacemakers

The communique from Havana last week sounded downright chummy. "Fidel expressed to Daniel the readiness of Cuba to cooperate with Nicaragua as far as possible to make the policy a success," read the statement. Fidel, of course, was the bearded one. And Daniel was Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega Saavedra. The topic of conversation: a peace plan for Central America that Ortega had signed in Guatemala City the previous week.

The get-together with Castro may have revived doubts about Ortega's status as an independent decision maker, but it was far friendlier than a session in Washington on the same subject. When Ronald...