The Land Of The Smoking Gun Terrorism and turmoil imperil U.S. hopes for moderate reform.

The article reports on the political and social conditions of five Central American countries which includes Nicaragua, Panama, Costa Rica, Hondurras and Guatemala and the U.S. foreign policy towards them. It criticizes the U.S. policy of supporting co-operative military regimes in the region and subverting reformist governments. It also reports on the new ambassadors sent to these states as reformists and activists which includes Lawrence Pezzullo to Nicaragua and Robert White to El Salvador.