Contras

Contras
The Nicaraguan Contras in Nueva Guinea, 1987
Leaders	Adolfo Calero Enrique Bermúdez FDN – Commandante Franklin ARDE Frente Sur – Cúpula of 6 Regional Commandantes YATAMA – Commandante Blas Misura – Steadman Fagoth
Dates of operation	1979–1990
Motives	Overthrowing the left-wing FSLN government of Nicaragua
Active regions	Nicaragua All rural areas of the country, from the Río Coco in the north to the Río San Juan in the south, excluding some Pacific regions
Ideology	Anti-communism Right-wing populism Nationalism
Political position	Right-wing
Size	125,000
Allies	United States (see Iran-Contra Affair) Argentina (see Operation Charly) Brazil Chile Honduras Israel Mexico Taiwan
Opponents	FSLN
Battles and wars	Major operations at La Trinidad, Rama highway, and Siunalatisha and Bonanza. Numerous FSLN bases overrun throughout Jinotega, Matagalpa, Zelaya, Chontales, and Río San Juan.

United States involvement in regime change
19th century 1893 overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom
20th century 1901 dissolution of the First Philippine Republic 1903 separation of Panama from Colombia 1906–1909 occupation of Cuba 1912–1933 occupation of Nicaragua 1914 occupation of Veracruz 1915–1934 occupation of Haiti 1916–1924 occupation of the Dominican Republic 1953 Iranian coup d'état 1954 Guatemalan coup d'état 1956–57 regime change attempts in Syria 1958 failed coup attempt in Indonesia 1960–1965 involvement in the Congo Crisis 1960 Laotian counter-coup by Phoumi Nosavan 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion 1961 Operation Mongoose in Cuba 1963 South Vietnamese coup d'état 1964 Brazilian coup d'état 1964 ousting of Cheddi Jagan in British Guiana 1965–1966 occupation of the Dominican Republic 1965–66 transition to the New Order in Indonesia 1971 Bolivian coup d'état 1973 Chilean coup d'état 1975–1992 support for UNITA in Angola 1979–1992 support for the Afghan mujahideen in Afghanistan 1981–1990 support for the Contras in Nicaragua 1983 invasion of Grenada 1989 invasion of Panama 1994–1995 occupation of Haiti 1990s Iraq, failed coup d'état
21st century 2001 invasion of Afghanistan 2003 invasion of Iraq

Anti-communism
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Laws and systems Anti-Infiltration Act Anti-Socialist Laws Communist Control Act of 1954 Crucial Communism Teaching Act National Security Act (South Korea) Peace Preservation Law Temporary Provisions (Taiwan) Ukrainian decommunization laws
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In the history of Nicaragua, the Contras (Spanish: La contrarrevolución, the counter-revolution) were the right-wing militias who waged anti-communist guerilla warfare (1979–1990) against the Marxist governments of the Sandinista National Liberation Front and the Junta of National Reconstruction, which came to power after the Nicaraguan Revolution in 1979.

In the aftermath of the Nicaraguan Revolution, where the political dynasty (1936–1979) of the Somoza family was overthrown by the Sandinistas, various groups were formed in opposition to the Sandinistas, including by Samoza allies and former members of the National Guard members, and also by Anti-Somozistas. From early, the United States and several other countries, provided military assistance and financial aid to the Contras. In 1981, the CIA and Argentina's Secretariat of Intelligence pursuaded several Contra groups to unite into the larger Nicaraguan Democratic Force (FDN). In 1986, the Boland Amendment was passed to end U.S. aid to the Contras; yet the Reagan administration continued to illegally fund the Contras, which resulted in a scandal known as the Iran–Contra affair. By 1987, most of the Contra militias had united into the Nicaraguan Resistance, within which the Nicaraguan Democratic Force was the largest group.

During the war, the Contras' tactics featured terrorism and human rights violations against civilians. The Reagan administration said that the Contras tactics did not include attacks against civilians. The CIA said that Contra terrorism resulted from "the poor discipline characteristic of irregular forces", and that terrorism was not official military doctrine of the Contras, and that the Contra leader responible was executed. The Global Terrorism Database reports that Contras carried out more than 1,300 terrorist attacks.