When the band landed at Las Mercedes Airport in Managua, Nicaragua on October 2, 1973, a swarm of fans mobbed the group when they were boarding their tour bus. Percussionist José Areas, who is Nicaraguan, was given a standing ovation by the crowd. Santana met up with former President Anastasio Somoza Debayle, while Areas privately traveled to León to see his family. At 8 p.m. on October 3, the group did a free benefit concert for victims of the 1972 Nicaragua earthquake at Estadio Nacional Somoza.