Aristides Sánchez
Encyclopedia
José Aristides Sánchez Herdocia served as a key political figure among the Nicaragua
n Contras
. Early on, he joined Enrique Bermúdez
in efforts to start a rebel opposition to the new Sandinista government. As the conduit between political leader Adolfo Calero
in Miami and rebel base camps in Honduras
, he spent more time in the camps than other Contra politicians and had the trust of the rebel field commanders. After working largely behind the scenes, in 1987 he joined the directorate of the Nicaraguan Resistance
.
Sánchez's Contra career embodied striking contrasts. He was the key ally of the Contra leaders most favored by the CIA, yet he himself was detested by the CIA. Unlike many Contra political leaders, chosen for their ability to woo American Congressmen, he did not speak English. He has been characterized as a Somocista oligarch, but also as an anti-American nationalist.
Sánchez came from a family that had been prominent in Nicaragua's Liberal Party early in the 20th century. Exiled by the 1979 Sandinista Revolution, he joined Enrique Bermúdez in recruiting for the 15th of September Legion.
When the 15th of September Legion merged with the Nicaraguan Democratic Union in August 1981 to form the Nicaraguan Democratic Force
, he joined the FDN's political triumvirate along with the UDN's José Francisco Cardenal
and Mariano Mendoza. But when the FDN replaced the triumvirate with a directorate in late 1982, the CIA's hostility forced Sánchez to recede into background roles.
Sánchez became the key link between the political and military leadership of the FDN. He served as Calero's political enforcer in Honduras, while Bermúdez counted on him to be the military's advocate in the political councils of Miami. The tight alliance between the three men became known as the "iron triangle," but privately Sánchez felt he came from a more prominent family than Calero and resented serving under him.
In May 1987, he and Calero were elected to the directorate of the new rebel umbrella group, the Nicaraguan Resistance. Now on a more equal footing with Calero, he became a rival for power. As the "iron triangle" collapsed, he opposed Calero's effort to remove Bermúdez in 1988.
On November 15, 1990, the day after a clash between police and former rebels at the Sébaco bridge, he was arrested. He filed a complaint with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
, charging that he had been coerced by torture and the withholding of medicine into signing false statements.http://www.cidh.org/annualrep/90.91eng/chap.4d.htm
Sánchez died on September 6, 1993 at age 50, after battling cancer for two years. His widow, Cecilia, has continued to support the cause of demobilized resistance fighters.
Nicaragua
Nicaragua 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...
n Contras
Contras
The 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...
. Early on, he joined Enrique Bermúdez
Enrique Bermúdez
Enrique Bermúdez Varela was a Nicaraguan who founded and commanded the Nicaraguan Contras. In this capacity, he became a central global figure in one of the most prominent conflicts of the Cold War....
in efforts to start a rebel opposition to the new Sandinista government. As the conduit between political leader Adolfo Calero
Adolfo Calero
Adolfo 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...
in Miami and rebel base camps in Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
, he spent more time in the camps than other Contra politicians and had the trust of the rebel field commanders. After working largely behind the scenes, in 1987 he joined the directorate of the Nicaraguan Resistance
Nicaraguan Resistance
The Nicaraguan Resistance was the last and arguably most successful effort to unify Nicaragua's rebel Contras into a single umbrella organization. It was established in May 1987, after the United Nicaraguan Opposition foundered....
.
Sánchez's Contra career embodied striking contrasts. He was the key ally of the Contra leaders most favored by the CIA, yet he himself was detested by the CIA. Unlike many Contra political leaders, chosen for their ability to woo American Congressmen, he did not speak English. He has been characterized as a Somocista oligarch, but also as an anti-American nationalist.
Sánchez came from a family that had been prominent in Nicaragua's Liberal Party early in the 20th century. Exiled by the 1979 Sandinista Revolution, he joined Enrique Bermúdez in recruiting for the 15th of September Legion.
When the 15th of September Legion merged with the Nicaraguan Democratic Union in August 1981 to form the Nicaraguan Democratic Force
Nicaraguan Democratic Force
The Nicaraguan Democratic Force was one of the earliest Contra groups, formed on August 11, 1981 in Guatemala City. It was formed to oppose Nicaragua's revolutionary Sandinista government following the 1979 overthrow of Anastasio Somoza Debayle...
, he joined the FDN's political triumvirate along with the UDN's José Francisco Cardenal
José Francisco Cardenal
José Francisco Cardenal was a Nicaraguan businessman who became known as one of the most pugnacious opponents of the Somoza and then the Sandinista regimes of Nicaragua, and played an important role in the early days of the Contra rebellion....
and Mariano Mendoza. But when the FDN replaced the triumvirate with a directorate in late 1982, the CIA's hostility forced Sánchez to recede into background roles.
Sánchez became the key link between the political and military leadership of the FDN. He served as Calero's political enforcer in Honduras, while Bermúdez counted on him to be the military's advocate in the political councils of Miami. The tight alliance between the three men became known as the "iron triangle," but privately Sánchez felt he came from a more prominent family than Calero and resented serving under him.
In May 1987, he and Calero were elected to the directorate of the new rebel umbrella group, the Nicaraguan Resistance. Now on a more equal footing with Calero, he became a rival for power. As the "iron triangle" collapsed, he opposed Calero's effort to remove Bermúdez in 1988.
On November 15, 1990, the day after a clash between police and former rebels at the Sébaco bridge, he was arrested. He filed a complaint with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights is an autonomous organ of the Organization of American States .Along with the...
, charging that he had been coerced by torture and the withholding of medicine into signing false statements.http://www.cidh.org/annualrep/90.91eng/chap.4d.htm
Sánchez died on September 6, 1993 at age 50, after battling cancer for two years. His widow, Cecilia, has continued to support the cause of demobilized resistance fighters.