The US Congress lobbying efforts were helped by one of Capitol Hill's top lobbyists, William C. Chasey.

On February 15, 1987, Costa Rican President Óscar Arias submitted a Peace Plan which evolved[clarification needed] from this meeting.

During 1986 and 1987, the "Esquipulas Process" was established, in which the Central American heads of state agreed on economic cooperation and a framework for peaceful conflict resolution.

[1] However the June 1986 outcome of the International Court of Justice case Nicaragua v. United States created a "major shift in the regional context" which ultimately persuaded the other Central American leaders to accept Nicaragua as an equal partner.

[2] "Suddenly, Nicaragua, which had been treated like an outcast on more than one occasion, was walking the legal, if not moral, high-ground..."[2] The November 1986 disclosure of the Iran–Contra affair further weakened the US influence on the process.