▁After ▁the ▁assass ination ▁of ▁newspaper ▁editor ▁Pedro ▁Cham or ro ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 8 , ▁Ast org a ▁decided ▁to ▁take ▁up ▁arms ▁against ▁the ▁Som o za ▁regime . ▁" I ▁finally ▁understood ▁that ▁armed ▁struggle ▁was ▁the ▁only ▁solution , ▁that ▁a ▁rif le ▁cannot ▁be ▁met ▁with ▁a ▁flower , ▁that ▁we ▁were ▁in ▁the ▁streets , ▁but ▁if ▁that ▁force ▁didn ' t ▁get ▁organized ▁we ▁wouldn ' t ▁achieve ▁much ", ▁she ▁said . ▁" For ▁me , ▁it ▁was ▁the ▁moment ▁of ▁conv iction : ▁either ▁I ▁took ▁up ▁arms ▁and ▁made ▁a ▁total ▁commit ment ▁or ▁I ▁wasn ' t ▁going ▁to ▁change ▁anything ." ▁ ▁She ▁gained ▁national ▁attention ▁for ▁her ▁participation ▁in ▁the ▁bot ched ▁kid n apping ▁and ▁murder ▁of ▁General ▁Reyn al do ▁Pérez ▁V ega ▁( nick named ▁" El ▁Per ro ," ▁or ▁" the ▁dog "). ▁Pérez ▁V ega ▁was ▁deput y ▁commander ▁of ▁An ast as io ▁Som o za ’ s ▁National ▁Guard . ▁On ▁March ▁ 8 , ▁ 1 9 7 8 , ▁Ast org a ▁invited ▁the ▁general ▁to ▁her ▁a partment ▁in ▁Man agua , ▁hint ing ▁to ▁him ▁that ▁the ▁sexual ▁fav ors ▁he ▁had ▁long ▁sought ▁would ▁be ▁granted . ▁When ▁he ▁arrived , ▁however , ▁three ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁Sand in ista ▁National ▁Liber ation ▁Front ▁( FS L N ) ▁— ▁H ilar io ▁S ánchez , ▁Ra úl ▁V ener io ▁and ▁Walter ▁Fer re