Contras

Contras, short for contrarevolucionarios (Spanish for "counter-revolutionaries"), were various U.S.-backed and funded rebel groups active from 1979 to the early 1990s in Nicaragua who opposed the socialist Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) government.

The Contras were composed of a diverse range of elements, including former members of the Nicaraguan National Guard under the Somoza dictatorship, peasants, and indigenous groups. The United States government, under President Ronald Reagan, provided significant financial, logistical, and military support to the Contras, viewing the Sandinista government as a threat to U.S. interests in the region and a potential ally of the Soviet Union.

Contra activities included armed attacks, sabotage, and assassinations targeting government infrastructure, Sandinista officials, and civilian populations. The Contra war resulted in significant loss of life and widespread destruction within Nicaragua, exacerbating economic problems and political instability.

The Contras' actions and U.S. involvement in supporting them were highly controversial, both in Nicaragua and internationally. The International Court of Justice ruled against the United States in 1986, finding that the U.S. had violated international law by supporting the Contras.

The conflict ended with the signing of the Tela Accord in 1989 and the Nicaraguan general election of 1990, in which Violeta Barrios de Chamorro, representing the National Opposition Union (UNO), defeated incumbent Sandinista President Daniel Ortega. Following the election, the Contras demobilized. The legacy of the Contra war continues to shape Nicaraguan politics and society.