▁" on ▁the ▁e ve ▁of ▁the ▁fourth ▁meeting ▁of ▁the ▁Central ▁American ▁Pres idents ", ▁( Env io ▁ 1 9 8 9 ) ▁is ▁also ▁a ▁valuable ▁reference ▁for ▁analysis ▁of ▁the ▁region ▁and ▁develop ments ▁since ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁commission . ▁ ▁Br ief ▁on ▁the ▁history ▁The ▁report ▁noted ▁that ▁the ▁economic ▁expansion ▁following ▁the ▁Second ▁World ▁War ▁is ▁critical ▁to ▁understanding ▁the ▁historical ▁roots ▁of ▁the ▁crisis ▁that ▁Central ▁America ▁faced ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 8 0 s , ▁after ▁the ▁region ' s ▁economy ▁nearly ▁col lapsed ▁from ▁the ▁in ability ▁to ▁adjust ▁to ▁international ▁struct ural ▁changes . ▁While ▁the ▁region ▁aver aged ▁un pre ced ented ▁growth ▁from ▁ 1 9 5 0 ▁to ▁ 1 9 7 8 , ▁the ▁strength s ▁of ▁the ▁economy ▁in ▁Central ▁America ▁did ▁not ▁out we igh ▁the ▁fault s ▁of ▁ex clusion ary ▁politics , ▁fla wed ▁economic ▁structures , ▁decl ine ▁of ▁int ra - reg ional ▁trade , ▁and ▁external ▁economic ▁set back s ▁that ▁consequ ently ▁led ▁to ▁social ▁un rest , ▁violence ▁and ▁civil ▁war . ▁ ▁While ▁Zu vek as ▁( 2 0 0 1 : ▁ 1 2 8 - 1 2 0 ) ▁maintain s ▁that ▁the ▁report ▁" does ▁not ▁sufficiently ▁recognize ▁the ▁( ad m itted ly ▁limited ) ▁progress " ▁made ▁throughout ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s , ▁the ▁comment ator ▁on ▁the ▁commission ▁does ▁believe