The Nicaraguan Rebel is a term used to describe two different groups of people. The first group is the Contras, a right-wing guerrilla group that was active in Nicaragua from 1979 to 1990. The Contras were supported by the United States and opposed the Sandinista government. The second group is the Sandinistas, a left-wing revolutionary movement that overthrew the Somoza dictatorship in 1979 and governed Nicaragua until 1990. The Sandinistas were opposed by the Contras and the United States.