This NAPA letter provides a summary of the main results of a study conducted on the management plans of a sample of protected areas in the region in order to know their strengths and weaknesses and to compare their methods of development with the guidelines proposed by IUCN and the CMAP (World Commission on Protected Areas) in this area. The entire study (95 pages), conducted by J.P. Dhuart, including detailed case studies, will be available online at www.papaco.org in February.