The Contras were anti-communist rebels funded by the U.S. to fight Nicaragua's Sandinista government.

History · Published 30 September 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: During the Cold War, the Contras waged a decade-long guerrilla insurgency against Nicaragua's Marxist Sandinista government. Heavily backed by the United States, the movement became a focal point of international controversy, involving secret funding, allegations of human rights abuses, and a major political scandal that reached the highest levels of Washington.

Following the 1979 Nicaraguan Revolution, the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) established an interim government. In response, various dissident groups and remnants of the former National Guard formed the Contras in 1980. By 1981, the CIA and Argentina's intelligence agency united these disparate factions into the Nicaraguan Democratic Force (FDN), which became the largest and most active insurgent organization, operating primarily from bases in Honduras.

The Reagan administration viewed the Sandinistas as a threat to U.S. national security and regional stability. Consequently, the CIA provided extensive military and financial support, training, and intelligence. Despite the 1982 Boland Amendment, which restricted funding for overthrowing the government, the administration continued to support the rebels. This covert effort eventually led to the Iran–Contra affair, where arms sales to Iran were used to bypass congressional funding bans. The operation even utilized an organization called The Enterprise, which handled secret logistics and bank accounts without standard government accountability.

The conflict was characterized by extreme violence, with the Global Terrorism Database recording over 1,300 terrorist attacks attributed to the Contras. Tactics included the targeting of civilians, nurses, and government officials. While the Reagan administration denied deliberate attacks on civilians, internal CIA documents and reports from figures like Edgar Chamorro acknowledged the use of terror to pressure the government. By the late 1980s, the war had caused severe economic suffering and 30,865 deaths. Following international pressure and negotiations, the Contras demobilized in 1989, leading to the 1990 election of Violeta Chamorro.

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