It was August 1987…decades of civil conflict in Nicaragua, El Salvador and Guatemala left tens of thousands dead and hundreds of thousands displaced.

Oscar Arias was a brash, young politician in Costa Rica who was recently elected President (in 1986). Bringing peace to Central America was one of his main campaign promises.

On August 31st, Arias convened all five of the region’s Presidents at a Summit in Guatemala City. They signed an agreement to promote lasting peace and reconciliation.

More than a quarter of a century later, Oscar Arias, who won the Nobel Peace Prize for his work, sits down with “Americas Now.” He tells the story of how they succeeded in achieving a peace deal that seemed an impossible feat.