Democracy in Central America
The opinions expressed by Cruz on the Arias peace plan made me wonder if his organization, Democratic Action for Nicaragua, is actually a front for the CIA.
As a person who has recently experienced some of the significant flavor of Nicaraguan society in a visit arranged by various religious workers in that country, I was particularly struck by Cruz’s “hope” that people like the 60,000 to 70,000 Americans who have visited the new Nicaragua should “stop meddling” there. It is extraordinary that he should characterize the desire for first-hand experience as “meddling.”
However, if we accept the premise that searching for truth is meddling, then we may also be prepared to swallow his other major suggestion, namely, that the contras include “thousands of good men and women” in their ranks. The evidence that we have heard about contra atrocities, including the routine practice of burning peasant villages and murdering innocents, all point to a different conclusion than the one Cruz draws.
The bottom line is that if we follow Cruz’s advice, then we might be willing to get ready for a full-scale war in the region.
TONY WOLFE
Los Angeles
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