Word: ariases
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Largely because of Costa Rica's democratic history, Arias was uniquely positioned to present the peace plan, experts on the region say. As Hakim puts it, "Costa Rica is in, but not of, Central America" which is best known for death squads, brutal dictatorships and guerilla warfare.
In a speech this fall at the Kennedy School of Government, which, University Marshal Hunt notes, favorably impressed those involved in selecting the Commencement speaker, Arias made a direct connection between Costa Rica's unique history and his efforts on behalf of peace.
"I come from a small country that was not afraid to abolish its army to become stronger. In my country there is not one tank, not one cannon and not one warship or helicopter gunship. We love democracy and respect the law," Arias said in that speech.
The Arias plan aims, as he said in his K-School speech, to foster "reconciliation wherever brothers are killing each other." The plan asks foreign powers to stop using military influence in the region and calls on the signers to refrain from using their countries as springboards for aggression against...
Hakim says that if one looks at the Arias plan in literal terms--putting aside the concerns about Nicaragua's civil war that inspired it--then it fares less well. Guatemala, Honduras and El Salavador all currently have internal strife or repressive regimes, he says.