The Contras As a U.S. Political Instrument and Their Impact on Central American Countries

In Nicaragua, after the Sandinista overthrow of the Somoza dictatorship, a Marxist-Leninist government was established. The new government became a threat not only to the neighboring countries but also to the United States national interests of keeping the peace and promoting democracy in the area and stopping the Soviet ideological expansionism in the region. The United States decided to use the Contras Nicaraguan Resistance as a political instrument in order to overthrow the regime or compel it to come back to a democracy. The purpose of this study is to examine the dimensions of this strategy and its impact on Central American countries.