Quiet Diplomacy or Quiet Acquiescence

This article was written at a time when the Reagan administration appeared determined to make a last ditch effort to dislodge the Sandinistas. The paper takes issue with those who criticized the Canadian government's failure to censure the American military display in Honduras and argued that Canada was once again “kow-towing” to the United States in Central America.In an attempt to place Canadian involvement in Central America in an historical context, this article identifies three periods of Canadian relations in the region: 1945–68; 1968–79; and 1979 to early 1988. I contend that Canada views the roots of the region's problems differently than the United States, and has developed a different set of policies for dealing with the area. Despite this, Canadian neglect in the region has meant that successive governments have failed to live up to the potential of their own declaration of principles.The paper argues that if Canada hopes to play a meaningful role in any Central American peace process, its credibility will be increased not by overt criticism of American policy, which can be counter-productive, but through rational and consistent implementation of independent Canadian policies

Acquiescence · Context (archaeology · Credibility · Criticism · Declaration · Diplomacy · Foreign policy · Government (linguistics · Neglect · Political economy · Political science · Politics · QUIET · Sociology · Canadian Policy and Governance · Island Studies and Pacific Affairs · Political and Social Dynamics in Chile and Latin America · History · Law · Public Administration

• The Wilder Shores of Politics

  Claudio Veliz•International Journal Canada s…•1981

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