 The Sandinistas were at risk of losing power in Nicaragua, which would mean to lose an important ideological ally and make the smuggling of weapons from the Gulf of Fonseca even harder.The events of the Cold War were also echoing in El Salvador.With the slow decline of communism in the Eastern Bloc leading the destruction of the Berlin Wall just two days prior to the start of the offensive, the FMLN's command became demoralised and divided*; some members saw the collapse of their ideology as a reason to find a peaceful and fast solution to the conflict while others became increasingly demotivated at the imminent failure of international communism.