Contras

The Contras were a loose coalition of anti-Sandinista guerrilla groups active in Nicaragua during the 1980s. They emerged after the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) took power in 1979 and faced internal opposition as well as external pressure from the United States, which sought to overturn the Sandinista government. The largest and best-known faction was the Nicaraguan Democratic Force (FDN); other groups included the Democratic Revolutionary Alliance (ARDE) and several smaller organizations. The Contras operated from bases in neighboring Honduras and conducted guerrilla warfare, raids, and sabotage inside Nicaragua.

U.S. involvement and aims: The United States provided substantial support to Contra groups, including military training, equipment, and funding, largely through the Central Intelligence Agency. The backing was part of a broader campaign to replace the Sandinista regime with a government considered more friendly to U.S. interests. Congressional restrictions in the Boland Amendment in the early 1980s led to covert arrangements and the use of third-country routes to supply the Contras.

Iran-Contra affair: In the mid-1980s, it was revealed that some proceeds from covert arms sales to Iran had been diverted to Contra groups. The ensuing Iran-Contra affair became a major political scandal in the United States, leading to investigations and convictions of several officials (though some were later pardoned). The affair highlighted tensions between U.S. foreign policy objectives and congressional authority.

End and legacy: The Contra war contributed to economic and social strain in Nicaragua and was accompanied by human rights concerns. In 1990, multiparty elections brought a change of government, with a U.S.-backed opposition defeating the Sandinistas, effectively ending official U.S. backing for the Contras.