Civil War in Nicaragua
The United States had supported the Nicaraguan dictatorship of Anastasio Somoza since 1933. In 1979, the Communist Sandinista rebels overthrew Somoza's son. At first, both the U.S. and the Soviet Union supported the Sandinistas led by Daniel Ortega. However, the Sandinistas helped Marxist rebels in El Salvador. Consequently, the U.S. switched to supporting the Nicaraguan anti-Communist Contras, or contrarevolucionarios in order to help El Salvador fight Marxist rebels.
The war lasted for more than a 10 years and severely damaged Nicaragua's economy. In 1990, the first free elections in Nicaraguan history were held, and Ortega was defeated by Violeta Chamorro, a reform candidate. In many subsequent elections, the Sandinistas were defeated as well.