ABSTRACT
Between October 1978 and February 1979, pushed and pulled by Anastasio Somoza and the opposition, the mediators tried to get both sides to agree to a process or a plebiscite that would permit peaceful political change. The mediation came very close to an agreement on a plebiscite, and that so frightened the Sandinistas that they buried their internal differences and adopted a more effective strategy to take power. When the mediators arrived, Somoza told a press conference that he would be prepared to discuss the 1981 election with them, but his resignation was out of the question. The Broad Opposition Front (FAO) publicly stated that Somoza's resignation was the only solution. In their first meeting, the FAO told the mediation team to obtain a date for Somoza's departure. William Bowdler spoke to his counterparts from Guatemala and the Dominican Republic, and all agreed to sign a joint report announcing the end of the mediation.
