President Ronald Reagan gives an address to the nation from the Oval Office in March of 1986.In the speech, Reagan addressed Nicaragua and framed the country as a direct and urgent threat to American national security. He described Nicaragua as a Soviet ally located just two hours’ flying time from U.S. borders, receiving over a billion dollars in Soviet-bloc aid, and actively working to destabilize and overthrow its democratic neighbors in Central America. He warned that Soviet and Cuban forces using Nicaragua as a base and how this could harm the strength of the US and threaten our access to the rest of the Americas and the Panama Canal.
The purpose of this speech was not just informative, it was a call for Congress to approve aid to the Nicaraguan Contra rebels, whom Reagan called the “democratic resistance.” He was explicit that he was not requesting American troops, he said they had not been needed or asked for, but rather that the resistance forces were seeking supplies and support to fight for their own country. Reagan asked Congress to pass a spending package of $100,000,000 in support for the Contras. Reagan framed Congressional approval of the aid package as a chance for Republicans and Democrats alike to act while the cost was still manageable.
“My fellow Americans, I must speak to you about a mounting danger in Central-America the threatens the security of the United States. This danger will not go away, it will grow worse, much worse, if we fail to take action now. I am speaking of Nicaragua, a Soviet ally on the American mainland only two hours flying time from our own borders. With over a billion dollars in Soviet-Bloc aid, the communist government of Nicaragua has launched a campaign to subvert and topple its democratic neighbors. Using Nicaragua as a base, the Soviets and Cubans can become the dominant power in the crucial corridor between North and South America.”
Source
Reagan, Ronald W. “President Ronald Reagan’s Address to the nation on the Situation in Nicaragua.” National Archives Collection RR-WHCA: Presidential Audio Recordings. Recorded March 16, 1986. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/7450184.