ABSTRACT
A cursory knowledge of Nicaragua's history would lead one to put aside any illusions that the electoral process would be smooth or, for that matter, free and fair. Nor would one have guessed that the observation missions in Nicaragua would establish a precedent and a new model of "election mediation" that would facilitate other democratic transitions. The Nicaraguan government was committed in principle to a free election, but in practice this meant reducing Sandinista control of the state and negotiating with the opposition on the basis of equality and mutual respect. The first goal would be to help both sides define the parameters of a free election in a manner that would establish durable electoral institutions and would give both sides a stake in the election's success. United States (US) troops entered the Nicaraguan embassy in Panama looking for Noriega, and Ortega responded by dispatching Nicaraguan tanks to surround the US embassy in Managua.
