U.S.-Central American Relations:Rebuilding Images, Rebuilding a Region.

Central America has been an abused and traumatized region, with decades of violent civil conflict in El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and to a lesser degree, Honduras. Historically, U.S.-Central American relations have been at best cordial and at worst bloody, and most Central Americans hold ambivalent views of the United States. However, since the end of the Cold War and the signing of peace accords in the region, the United States has been attempting to rebuild its image, and in the wake of Hurricane Mitch and the dual earthquake disaster in El Salvador the United States has been helping to rebuild Central America. But much of U.S. aid to the region is channeled through international development NGOs, and few Central Americans realize where the funds are coming from. Using survey data, personal interviews, and field visits, this paper strives to determine how Central Americans understand this NGO connection and how it might be affecting opinions of the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]