[5] In 1981, Suazo Córdova was the President of the National Constituent Assembly that drew up the 1982 Honduran Constitution.

[6] He won a clear majority as a member of the Liberal Party of Honduras and became president in January 1982.

The Liberal victory surprised many who believed the armed forces would interfere in favor of its erstwhile National Party allies.

A U.S. military spokesman neatly summarized the U.S. appraisal of the situation: "Honduras is the keystone to our policy down there".

Honduras provided sanctuary and overt cooperation to the Contra army the United States was developing to attack Nicaragua's Sandinista government.