Five Latin Chiefs Sign Peace Plan : Central-American Cease-Fire Urged Within 3 1/2 Months

The presidents of five Central American nations on Friday signed a working document for peace in the region, a foundation for further, delicate agreements that have eluded them for years.

The presidents of Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras and Costa Rica arranged the fragile agreement at their two-day summit. It calls for a cease-fire within 3 1/2 months.

The agreement was based on a proposal submitted by President Oscar Arias of Costa Rica on Feb. 15 to end Nicaragua’s civil war and the leftist insurgency in El Salvador.

Arias read the document to a crowd of diplomats, journalists and invited guests in an ornate reception hall at the National Palace. The presidents then signed the document.

‘Important Step’

Roberto Viera, El Salvador’s vice minister of communications, described the document as “conceptual” but an “important step forward.”

Texts of the document were not immediately distributed. A news conference previously scheduled by the presidents was canceled without explanation.

“The principal goal of the summit has been achieved,” said Luis Solis, chief of staff for the Costa Rican Foreign Ministry. “It’s a tremendous breakthrough.”

U.S. House Speaker Jim Wright called the accord “substantial,” adding: “You probably need to keep your fingers crossed and hope it doesn’t come unglued.”

He said he hopes that the United States will respond positively and that President Reagan will withhold any requests to Congress for a renewal of aid to the Nicaraguan rebels as long as the peace process is on track.

“I believe the President is going to try to act in good faith,” even though the agreement worked out in Central America differs from one proposed by Reagan and Wright earlier this week.

At the White House in Washington, spokesman Roman Popadiuk said, “We are anxiously awaiting details of this agreement. After we have received it and have had a chance to analyze it, we will be in a position to comment.”

Viera said the United States and the Soviet Union and its allies would be “exhorted” to halt aid to insurgent forces in Central America, but acknowledged that there was no guarantee they would do so.

‘Still Much to Do’

“We have agreed on all points,” said Mario Quinones, Guatemala’s foreign minister. “But there’s still much to do.”

The Honduran delegation released a document describing the pact as a compromise and saying it called for the foreign ministers of the five nations to meet within 15 days as a working commission.

Within 90 days, the Honduran document said, the commission would be charged with bringing about a regional cease-fire, amnesty for political prisoners and armed opponents of nations in conflict, and democratization of the area.

The Honduran delegation said those simultaneous steps would be accompanied by three other actions:

- A call for governments inside and outside of the region to suspend aid to irregular forces or insurrectional movements in Central America.

- Arrangement of international mechanisms to halt the use of any country’s territory for attacks on another nation.

- A halt to the traffic of arms and other military aid to individuals or groups trying to undermine neighboring states.

The Honduran delegation said an international inspection commission would meet 120 days after the signing of the agreement to verify progress. Thirty days after that, the five Central American presidents would meet again to hear the inspection commission’s report.

The resolution of the key issues of a cease-fire and democratization in particular have eluded diplomats from the five nations since their search for peace began Jan. 12, 1983, with the initial meeting of the so-called Contadora group of nations--named after the Panamanian island where they first met.

‘We Are Very Happy’

“We’ve always said a range of possibilities could happen here, from a comprehensive agreement to a statement of will,” said Solis. “We are very happy the former has happened.”

Asked how the agreement could be described as comprehensive, when key issues remain to be worked out, Solis said, “Those are the bets you have to take.”

“But maybe some of those other details already have been settled,” he added with a smile. He declined further comment.

Arias’ proposal replaced a peace plan advanced by the Contadora countries of Mexico, Colombia, Panama and Venezuela. Their efforts stalled in disagreement more than a year ago.

Reagan’s Plan

Before the Guatemala talks began, the Reagan Administration advanced a peace initiative Wednesday dealing only with Nicaragua, whose Sandinista government is battling U.S.-supported contra rebels.

The Central-American presidents agreed beforehand not to formally consider Reagan’s proposal, although Guatemalan President Vinicio Cerezo said they would discuss it.

Asked if the Reagan initiative lent impetus to an agreement, Solis replied, “I don’t think the Reagan plan was any more important than any of the others. President Arias said all along that the Reagan plan was incompatible with his own.”

Reagan’s proposal calls for suspending U.S. military aid to the contras if the Sandinistas agree to abide by a cease-fire, to restore democratic processes and to reject Soviet Bloc military aid.

If Nicaragua does not agree by Sept. 30, Reagan has said he will ask Congress for $150 million in new aid for the contras over the remaining 17 months of his term. The current U.S. allocation of $100 million runs out Sept. 30.