Enrique Bermúdez, Nicaraguan lieutenant and engineer (b. 1932)
Enrique Bermúdez Varela (December 11, 1932 – February 16, 1991), known as Comandante 380, was a Nicaraguan soldier and rebel 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.
Bermúdez founded the largest Contra army in the war against Nicaragua's Sandinista coalition government of Marxists, students, businessmen, and church groups, which received minor support from the Soviet Union, much more from Cuba, and most democratic governments in Latin America such as Costa Rica and Venezuela. From 1979 until the end of the military conflict in 1990, Bermudez was the Contras' top military commander. In addition to being responsible for all of the Contras' military operations, Bermúdez ultimately helped manage the Contras' transition to an opposition political party in the early 1990s, after the second election in post-Somoza Nicaragua ended in defeat for the Sandinistas. The first election, held in 1984 with severe irregularities resulted in a victory for the FSLN and its candidate, Daniel Ortega; it was the rejection of this questionable outcome that led the Contras to continue their insurgency until Ortega and the FSLN had been ejected from office.
On February 16, 1991, Bermudez was assassinated in Managua.
1991Feb, 16
Enrique Bermúdez
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Events on 1991
- 15Jan
Gulf War
The United Nations deadline for the withdrawal of Iraqi forces from occupied Kuwait expires, preparing the way for the start of Operation Desert Storm. - 16Jan
Gulf War
Coalition Forces go to war with Iraq, beginning the Gulf War. - 17Jan
Operation Desert Storm
Gulf War: Operation Desert Storm begins early in the morning. Iraq fires eight Scud missiles into Israel in an unsuccessful bid to provoke Israeli retaliation. - 9Apr
Soviet Union
Georgia declares independence from the Soviet Union - 5Oct
Jakarta
An Indonesian military transport crashes after takeoff from Jakarta killing 137.