After almost four years in office, President Chamorro has made little headway in overcoming the substantial obstacles facing her. She has yet to win the support, or investments, of her reluctant private sector. Significant political realignments during her term have allowed her to move closer to reconciliation with representatives of the Sandinista labor forces. However, at the beginning of 1993, Nicaragua continued to face large trade and fiscal deficits, and it had yet to capture the confidence of either domestic or international investors. The government continues to pin its hopes for economic recovery on the potential of its forests and on agricultural exports.

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In 1993 analysis of all things Nicaraguan, including the economy, continues to be colored by political orientation. Specialized regional newsletters, particularly Latin American Newsletter [London], Central America Report, This Week in Central America, Latin American Monitor, and Business Latin America provide useful data. Brizio N. Biondi-Morr's Hungry Dreams is particularly useful, as is Anthony Lake's edited volume, After the Wars, for its analysis of the effects of the regional conflicts. Sheldon Annis's data on the new nature of poverty in Central America in Poverty, Natural Resources, and Public Policy in Central America are also helpful. (For further information and complete citations, see Bibliography.)

Data as of December 1993