United States (see Iran-Contra Affair) National Reorganization Process (see Operation Charly) Brazil Chile Honduras Israel Mexico Taiwan[1]
Opponents
FSLN
Battles and wars
Major operations at La Trinidad, Rama highway, and Siunalatisha and Bonanza. Numerous government bases overrun throughout Jinotega, Matagalpa, Zelaya Norte, Zelaya Sur, Chontales, and Río San Juan provinces.
Succeeded by Recontra Frente Norte 380
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United States involvement in regime change
20th century
1948–1960s Italy
1949 Syrian coup d'état
1949–1953 Albania
1953 Iranian coup d'état
1954 Guatemalan coup d'état
1956–57 Syria crisis
1957–58 Indonesian rebellion
1959–1963 Iraq
1959–2000 assassination attempts on Fidel Castro
1959 Cambodia, Bangkok Plot
1960 Congo coup d'état
1961 Cuba, Bay of Pigs Invasion
1961 Cuba, Operation Mongoose
1961 Dominican Republic
1963 South Vietnamese coup d'état
1964 Brazilian coup d'état
1965–66 Indonesia, Transition to the New Order
1966 Ghanaian coup d'état
1971 Bolivian coup d'état
1970–1973 Chile
1976 Argentine coup d'état
1979 Salvadoran coup d'état
1979–1992 Afghanistan, Operation Cyclone
1975–1992 Angola, UNITA
1981–1990 Nicaragua, Contras
1982 Chad
1983 Grenada
1989–1990 Panama
1990s Iraq, failed coup d'état
21st century
2003 Iraq
2011 Libya
2012–2017 Syria, Timber Sycamore
v
t
e
The Contras (from Spanish: la contrarrevolución, lit. 'the counter-revolution') were the various U.S.-backed and funded right-wing rebel groups that were active from 1979 to 1990 in opposition to the Marxist Sandinista Junta of National Reconstruction Government in Nicaragua, which had come to power in 1979 following the Nicaraguan Revolution.[2][3] Among the separate contra groups, the Nicaraguan Democratic Force (FDN) emerged as the largest by far. In 1987, virtually all Contra organizations were united, at least nominally, into the Nicaraguan Resistance.
During their war against the Nicaraguan government, there were numerous examples of Contras committing human rights violations and using terrorist tactics.[4][5][6][7][8][9][10] Many of these actions were reported to be carried out systematically as a part of the strategy of the Contras.[citation needed][discuss] Supporters of the Contras tried to downplay these violations, particularly the Reagan administration in the U.S., which engaged in a campaign of white propaganda to alter public opinion in favor of the Contras,.[11] The Global Terrorism Database reports that Contras carried out more than 1,300 terrorist attacks.[12]
From an early stage, the rebels received financial and military support from the United States government, and their military significance decisively depended on it. After U.S. support was banned by Congress, the Reagan administration covertly continued it. These illegal activities culminated in the Iran–Contra affair.
^Baron, James. "The Cold War History Behind Nicaragua's Break With Taiwan". thediplomat.com. The Diplomat. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
^"The Contras Murdering Their Own: A Grisly Retribution | Alicia Patterson Foundation". aliciapatterson.org. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
^"The American That Reagan Killed". jacobinmag.com. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
^Feldmann, Andreas E.; Maiju Perälä (July 2004). "Reassessing the Causes of Nongovernmental Terrorism in Latin America". Latin American Politics and Society. 46 (2): 101–132. doi:10.1111/j.1548-2456.2004.tb00277.x. S2CID 221247620.
^Greg Grandin; Gilbert M. Joseph (2010). A Century of Revolution. Durham, North Carolina: Duke University Press. p. 89. ISBN 978-0822392859.
^Todd, Dave (26 February 1986). "Offensive by Nicaraguan "Freedom Fighters" May be Doomed as Arms, Aid Dry Up". Ottawa Citizen.
^Albert J. Jongman; Alex P. Schmid (1988). Political Terrorism: A New Guide To Actors, Authors, Concepts, Data Bases, Theories, And Literature. Transaction Publishers. pp. 17–18. ISBN 978-1-41280-469-1.
^Athan G. Theoharis; Richard H. Immerman (2006). The Central Intelligence Agency: Security Under Scrutiny. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 216. ISBN 978-0313332821.
^"Empire Politician - 1980s: U.S. Support for Contra Death Squads in Nicaragua". The Intercept. 27 April 2021. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
^Kinzer, Stephen; Times, Special To the New York (20 February 1986). "CONTRAS' ATTACKS ON CIVILIANS CITED". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
^Fried, Amy (1997). Muffled Echoes: Oliver North and the Politics of Public Opinion. Columbia University Press. pp. 65–68. ISBN 9780231108201.
^LaFree, Gary; Laura Dugan; Erin Miller (2015). Putting Terrorism in Context: Lessons from the global terrorism database (1 ed.). London and New York: Routledge. p. 56. ISBN 978-0-415-67142-2. In Nicaragua, Contra groups including the Nicaraguan Democratic Force (FDN), the Democratic Revolutionary Alliance (ARDE), and ultimately the Nicaraguan Resistance umbrella group carried out more than 1,300 terrorist attacks, mostly in opposition to the Sandinista government.
systematically as a part of the strategy of the Contras.[citation needed][discuss] Supporters of the Contras tried to downplay these violations, particularly...
(film), 2020 German film Contra (citation signal), a term used in legal citations Contra account, or contra amount Contras, Nicaraguan counter-revolutionaries...
Contras in the drug trade and CIA knowledge of drug activities by the Contras. McManus found Blandón and Meneses's financial contributions to Contra organizations...
including contras English Folk Dance and Song Society dance calendar – calendar of folk dance events in the UK, including contras In France Paris Contra Dance...
1979 to 1990, and the Contra War, which was waged between the FSLN-led government of Nicaragua and the United States–backed Contras from 1981 to 1990. The...
Contra Costa refers to Contra Costa County, California and many things within or adjacent to its borders, including: Contra Costa Centre, California Contra...
Contra 4 is a 2D action game published by Konami Digital Entertainment in the United States and developed by WayForward Technologies. It is the eleventh...
Super Contra, known as Super Contra: The Alien Strikes Back in Japan, is a run and gun video game by Konami, originally released as a coin-operated arcade...
between the Contras and the government continued until 1989. After revising the constitution in 1987, and after years of fighting the Contras, the FSLN...
Coast Contra are an American hip hop group formed in 2015 by Rio Loz, Eric Jamal, and twin brothers Taj Austin and Ras Austin (twin sons of West Coast...
Cosmin Marius Contra (Romanian pronunciation: [kosˈmin ˈmari.us ˈkontra]; born 15 December 1975) is a Romanian football manager and former player. He is...
Contra proferentem (Latin: "against [the] offeror"), also known as "interpretation against the draftsman", is a doctrine of contractual interpretation...
commentator, and cultural critic. She is best known for her YouTube channel, ContraPoints, where she creates video essays exploring a wide range of topics such...
Opvs Contra Natvram is the twelfth studio album by Polish extreme metal band Behemoth, released on 16 September 2022 through Nuclear Blast. Upon release...
Contra Vision Ltd was founded in 1985. There are two wholly owned subsidiaries: Contra Vision North America, Inc., which operates out of Atlanta, Georgia...
train and fund an existing terrorist group in Nicaragua known as the Contras. The Contras also contributed to drug dealing in the U.S. and brought a lot of...
Contras were involved in drug trafficking, the supply network of the Contras was used by drug trafficking organizations, and elements of the Contras themselves...
Contra Conspiracy (also known as Contra Control[citation needed] and Contra Company) is a 1988 action film written and directed by Thomas Dewier which...
Against Celsus (Greek: Κατὰ Κέλσου, Kata Kelsou; Latin: Contra Celsum), preserved entirely in Greek, is a major apologetics work by the Church Father Origen...
Nicaraguan contras, Reagan labeled the contras "the moral equivalent of our founding fathers", which was controversial because the contras had shown a...
The Contra Dam, commonly known as the Verzasca Dam and the Locarno Dam, is an arch dam on the Verzasca River in the Val Verzasca of Ticino, Switzerland...