Contras

:For other uses of the word or name, see contra (disambiguation)

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The Contras (from the Spanish term La Contra, short for movement of the contrarrevolucionarios, meaning counter-revolutionaries) were the armed opponents of Nicaragua's Sandinista Junta of National Reconstruction following the July 1979 overthrow of Anastasio Somoza Debayle and the ending of the Somoza family's 43-year rule. The label was commonly used by the US press to cover a range of groups opposed to the Sandinistas, with little in the way of ideological unity; thus some references use the uncapitalized form, contra, which means against or counter in Spanish.

Related Topics:
Spanish - Nicaragua - Sandinista - Junta of National Reconstruction - 1979 - Anastasio Somoza Debayle

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The Contras were considered terrorists by the Sandinistas because many of their attacks targeted civilians. The Contras, who initially received financial and other forms of support from the Argentine military regime and then U.S. CIA, mounted raids which targeted northern Nicaragua, particularly coffee plantations and farming cooperatives. They received sympathy and support from Nicaraguan peasants opposed to the Sandinistas' nationalization of their land, formation of large farming co-ops, and mistreatment of dissenters; however, they were also opposed by Nicaraguans and human rights groups who viewed their tactics as brutal and indiscriminate. According to human rights group Americas Watch, the Contras engaged in "violent abuses ... so prevalent that these may be said to be their principle means of waging war."

Related Topics:
Terrorists - CIA - Nationalization - Human rights - Americas Watch

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