Tacho's Close Call

After narrowly escaping assassination last week, Nicaragua's durable Dictator Anastasio ("Tacho") Somoza smashed what appeared to be the best-organized conspiracy to overthrow him since he grabbed power 20 years ago.

Aided by members of the reactivated Caribbean Legion, who crossed the border from Costa Rica for the purpose, Nicaraguan rebels planned to ambush Tacho after a reception at the U.S. embassy residence outside Managua. When a party guest happened to notice suspicious movements outside the residence, and Tacho's troops rushed to investigate, the ambushers fled. Next day. one plotter lost his nerve and told all to the police.

The President declared a state of siege, and ordered his National Guard to track down the rebels. By week's end, he announced that it was all over, with 20-odd Caribbean legionnaires killed, some 20 other rebels captured, two of his own men dead. Tacho was most put out because the rebels had planned to assassinate him.

"Hell," he rumbled, "it's no crime to overthrow a government in a fair fight, but murder is something else."

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