The
Nicaraguan Resistance (
, RN) was the last and arguably most successful effort to unify
NicaraguaNicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
's rebel
ContrasThe contras is a label given to the various rebel groups opposing Nicaragua's FSLN Sandinista Junta of National Reconstruction government following the July 1979 overthrow of Anastasio Somoza Debayle's dictatorship...
into a single umbrella organization. It was established in May 1987, after the
United Nicaraguan OppositionThe United Nicaraguan Opposition was a Nicaraguan rebel umbrella group formed in 1985, led by the triumvirate of Adolfo Calero, Alfonso Robelo, and Arturo Cruz...
(UNO) foundered.
The RN had a 54-member assembly that elected a seven-member directorate. Five seats were allotted to parties, one was elected at-large, and the last was reserved for
YATAMAYapti Tasba Masraka Nanih Aslatakanka is an indigenous party from Nicaragua's Atlantic Coast. YATAMA has its roots in the MISURASATA and the MISURA/KISAN organisations...
, the Miskito Indian organization. The initial members were
Adolfo CaleroAdolfo Calero Portocarrero was a Nicaraguan businessman, and leader of the Nicaraguan Democratic Force, which was the largest contra rebel group opposing the Sandinista government. In the contra leadership, Calero was responsible for managing the bank accounts into which money was deposited and...
(
ConservativeThe Conservative Party is a conservative political party in Nicaragua.The party's colour is green and its emblem is a torch of freedom in a circle. Its slogan is “Dios, Orden, Justicia” , often depicted on the three sides of a triangle.-History:The conservative party is the oldest currently...
),
Aristides Sánchez José Aristides Sánchez Herdocia served as a key political figure among the Nicaraguan Contras. Early on, he joined Enrique Bermúdez in efforts to start a rebel opposition to the new Sandinista government...
(Liberal),
Alfonso RobeloLuis Alfonso Robelo Callejas , a Nicaraguan businessman, was the founder of the Nicaraguan Democratic Movement . He was one of the "moderates" on the five-members Junta of National Reconstruction that the Sandinistas claimed would rule Nicaragua following the overthrow of Anastasio Somoza Debayle...
(
Social DemocratThe Social Democratic Party is a right-wing Nicaraguan political party that split from Conservatives in 1979. The party sought affiliation to the Socialist International, but its application was rejected....
), Azucena Ferrey (
Social ChristianThe Social Christian Party is a Nicaraguan political party with Christian democrat ideology founded in 1957. As of 2006, the PSC is part of the Sandinista Renovation Movement alliance in the Nicaraguan general election, 2006....
), Alfredo César (Southern Opposition Bloc), and Pedro Joaquín Chamorro, Jr. (at-large). The
YATAMAYapti Tasba Masraka Nanih Aslatakanka is an indigenous party from Nicaragua's Atlantic Coast. YATAMA has its roots in the MISURASATA and the MISURA/KISAN organisations...
seat remained vacant.