Editorial
Peace now possible
in Central America
Latin American nations appear prepared to reject a U.S.
policy that allegedly promotes stability in Central America.
U.S. policy in this respect has failed.
Last week, leaders of five Central American nations
issued a statement in support of reviving the stalled Con
tadora peace process. Contadora began three years ago under
the leadership of Mexico. Venezuela, Columbia and
Panama. Its intent was to achieve a negotiated settlement to
Central American fighting, and in general, to work toward a
demilitarization of the region.
The original Contadora group repeated its support ot the
Contadora process last week. The newly elected President of
Honduras announced his nation’s willingness to sign the
treaty Saturday. Guatemala’s recently sworn in president.
Marco Vinicio Cerezo Arevalo, has agressively used his of
fice to promote the Contadora effort. To his credit, he has an
nounced that his government will not denounce Nicaragua,
but instead will work with every Central American country
to produce a working peace for the entire area.
Much ot the impetus for the revival of Contadora seems
to have come from the Nicaraguan government. Despite its
reservations with certain provisions. Nicaragua participated
in last week’s negotiations and signed the statement suppor
ting resumption of the Contadora talks.
While the Reagan administration has voiced reserved
support for a revival of Contadora, it remains adamant about
the continued funding of the anti-government rebels —
known as Contras — fighting to overthrow the Nicaraguan °
government. High ranking U.S. officials claim that by aiding
the rebels. Nicaragua will be pressured into signing the
peace treaty.
But this form of doublespeak is merely a cover for the
Reagan administration’s real goal — the overthrow of the
Sandinista government. It was Nicaragua that announced its
willingness to sign the Contadora treaty in September 1984.
After demanding that the Sandinistas prove their commit
ment to peace and political pluralism by signing the treaty,
the Reagan regime quickly backed off. Suddenly the treaty
was flawed, and the administration called Nicaragua's sup
port of Contadora a devious act. Thus U.S. allies in the
region were pressured to withdraw their support of the
treaty.
Since, efforts to promote the accord have made little
headway. Meanwhile, the fighting in Nicaragua and El
Salvador has continued to take a heavy toll on those im
poverished nations. And in both cases, the Reagan ad
ministration, with the support of Congress, is promoting
violence as a method of achieving peace. Obviously this can
not be. The administration should seek a new, less
militarized route to its stated aims.
It is doubtful whether the United States will accept any
treaty that tolerates the existence of the current Nicaraguan
government. The ideological hangups of the Reaganites de
mand that a nation such as Nicaragua, which refuses to align
itself with Washington, be immediately labeled subversive
and pro-Soviet. In this case, it also means that attempts to
overthrow the Sandinistas are in keeping with Reagan’s con
tempt for international law.
If the United States is serious about achieving peace and
stability in Central America, it will have an additional op
portunity in the form of Contadora. But most indications
suggest the Reagan administration has its own agenda, one
that will emphasize force over accommodation. Owing to
the enormous power of Washington, the losers in this
senseless game will continue to be the people of Central
America.
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Commentary. _
Abortion should remain legal
Jan 22. 1973 is a day to be
remembered by all people. For
some it was a sad story, and for
others it was a triumphant vic
tory. This was the day the.
Supreme Court handed down
its decision regarding the Koe
vs. Wade case that stated “all
women have a right to control.
their own bodies as well as a
means of safe and legal
abortion.’'
This decision is alive and
well today despite the constant
pressure to have it repealed by -
Right-To-Life groups. Right-To
Life is active in seeking that
federal funding for abortion be
eliminated and, ultimately, that
abortion be eliminated as well.
As a matter of fact, Right-To
Life has taken it upon itself to
go to any means of assuring that
women do not have access to
facilities that provide abortions.
The terrorist tactics of the pro
life movement, those who bomb
family-planning clinics, harass
women and present the
distorted film "Silent Scream",
as an accurate portrayal of abor
tion, have served, if anything
positive, to ignite, activate and
strengthen the pro-choice
movement,
The time has come again
when women must fight to keep
control over their own bodies,
because if the pro-life, move
ment is successful, women who '
believe they have the right.to
determine whether to'.bear a.
proclaim that ketchup is a
Vegetable.
Abortion has always been
commonplace' regardless of
.' legality'.- and it .will continue.
■We cannot allow ourselves to
regress to the times when per
After all, a woman’s right to control her
own body is a woman's right to control her
own life. . • ”
child will commit a felony —
that is., they Will seek illegal
abortions. '.
c
# C • . , * O • ■ * ’ tv. ‘
Abortion is one of the most
d personal decisions to be made
and.should never" have become
a. political issue in the ■ first
place. A,ft«r alj, a woman’s right
to control her own body is a
woman's right to control her.
own life. But what seems to be
the most confusing aspect of. the
'pro-life movement is its
vehemence in granting a fetus,
which' is" not viable outside .its
mot her.'s womb,, full
citizenship^ . ..
How can a group called pro
life say It is so concerned about
life, when by imposing its
religious/moral beliefs on
everyone else, it will decide
who can have an abortion under
which circumstances (if there
are any)? Furthermore, who is
going to care for all these
children? Certainly not the
Reagan administration. We’ve
watched him cut social pro
grams practically in half and
fora ted uteri were - common
scene* in hospitals; when
‘■women were butchered at the
hand's of* an unsanitary
"doctor..” . V
In reality. many women will
die as a result of unsanitary
and/or illegal abortions. Accor
- ding to pro-life theory, in reali
ty. it Is, betters woman die than
•'abort a fetus.
Pro-choice does not
■ necessarily advocate abortion.
We. advocate, choice — the
choice of Whether to continue or
terminate a pregnancy — to
have control over our own
bodies. Women must maintain
the control we won in 1973. It’s
only natural that as long as
women (war and are responsible
for caring for children, that they
be the ones to control that part
of their lives. .
By Laura Romano
Laura Romano is the director
of the Women's Resource and
Referral Service.
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