Latin Officials Back Contadora Peace Effort

Officials from all Central American countries except Nicaragua signed a declaration supporting the Contadora peace plan in a meeting Tuesday but took no stand on the U.S. trade embargo against Nicaragua.

Foreign Ministry officials from El Salvador, Costa Rica, Honduras and Guatemala met here in the series of meetings to discuss the conflict in Central America without the presence of Nicaragua.

“We are searching for ways to make the next meeting of Contadora more effective,” Salvadoran Foreign Minister Jorge Eduardo Tenorio said.

In a document issued at the end of the first session of the two-day meeting, the four countries reiterated their support for the two-year-old effort of the Contadora Group--Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia and Panama--to complete a peace accord.

Only Nicaragua has said it would approve the draft of the Contadora peace plan, while U.S. allies--El Salvador, Honduras and Costa Rica--have charged that the plan lacks enough provisions to verify compliance with the peace treaty.