Institution

Sandinista Popular Army

1979–1995 · 20th century · Also known as Ejército Popular Sandinista

The Sandinista Popular Army was the national army created by the Sandinista government of Nicaragua in 1979 to replace the defeated National Guard, under the command of Humberto Ortega. Built up with Soviet and Cuban support and conscription, it fought the US-backed Contra rebels through the 1980s. After the 1990 elections it was greatly reduced and depoliticised, and in 1995 it was renamed the Army of Nicaragua.

Sandinista Popular Army
Image: User:Inti; User:Stannered · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

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Republic of NicaraguaMilitary

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Sandinista Popular Army. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/sandinista-popular-army
MLA
“Sandinista Popular Army.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/sandinista-popular-army. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Sandinista Popular Army.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/sandinista-popular-army.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Sandinista Popular Army’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/sandinista-popular-army (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻