The World - News from Sept. 9, 1988

Up to 12,000 Nicaraguan rebels are camped in Honduras and many more could soon enter the country, according to Honduran Interior Minister Enrique Ortez Colindres. He told reporters that most of the Contra army--up to 12,000 of an estimated 17,000--has flooded the Yamales valley in eastern Honduras, where they are receiving U.S. humanitarian aid. Although Honduran President Jose Azcona Hoyo has said that he would not stop the rebels from crossing the border for “humanitarian reasons,” it was not immediately clear why his government, after years of denial, finally recognized the Contras’ presence. Some analysts said Honduras could no longer stay silent since the Contras have opened up their camps to reporters in a media barrage aimed at winning renewed U.S. aid.