NICARAGUA: Somoza Stands Alone

The U.S. recommends intervention, but "Tacho"fights on

For Nicaragua's embattled President, General Anastasio ("Tacho") Somoza Debayle, the week was one of gathering desperation. The communiques that flowed into his fortified command post in Managua were grim. From Leon, the country's second largest city (pop. 62,000), came word that a national guard garrison had fallen to the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN). From Rivas, capital of the southwestern district, commanders reported that a force of 700 guerrillas had not been beaten back. Managua itself was under siege. The sounds of heavy artillery salvos echoed through the bunker as Somoza's elite...