Beckman Instruments had a subsidiary company and manufacturing plant called Aplar in El Salvador. In 1979 the country was on the brink of a civil war that would ultimately span three decades. On September 21, 1979, the manager of the Aplar plant, Dennis McDonald, and a Beckman Instruments engineer, Fausto Bucheli, were kidnapped by members of the guerrilla movement and held for ransom. The terms of their release were the payment of a ransom as well as publication of a manifesto in various newspapers worldwide. Beckman Instruments paid the random and published the manifesto, leading to the release of the hostages after forty-five days of captivity. Robert J. Steinmeyer headed the team who negotiated the release of the hostages.