10. The Contras: Rebels in Nicaragua
In the 1980s, the U.S. secretly supported the Contras, a rebel group fighting Nicaragua’s leftist Sandinista government. Despite widespread reports of atrocities committed by the Contras, American backing continued as part of a broader anti-communist effort in Central America. The History Channel details how this controversial alliance became a defining episode of Cold War realpolitik—one where strategic imperatives repeatedly overshadowed human rights concerns.
