The Alianza Revolucionaria Democrática (ARDE) was a [[Contras|Contra]] faction based in [[Costa Rica]] and commanded by [[Eden Pastora]], a former [[Sandinistas|Sandinista]] war hero known as "Commandante Zero."[^1] ### Formation ARDE was formed in September 1982 when [[UDN-FARN]], under the leadership of [[Fernando Chamorro|"El Negro" Chamorro]] and his brother [[Edmundo Chamorro]], broke away from the [[FDN]] and united with Pastora's group. The merger made political sense because both factions shared a common trait: as former Sandinistas, they hated the ex-[[Nicaraguan National Guard|National Guard]] officers who made up the FDN.[^2] Pastora frequently outraged his [[Central Intelligence Agency]] handlers by publicly complaining about the FDN, once referring to them as "criminal mummies and gorillas." [[Enrique Bermudez|Bermúdez]] and the FDN considered Pastora a closet Communist and suspected him of being a Sandinista mole.[^2] ### CIA Oversight Like Bermúdez, Pastora was put on the CIA's payroll, where he remained until mid-1984. When the Chamorros switched from the FDN to ARDE, they changed their line of command—reporting to Pastora instead of Bermúdez—but both Pastora and Bermúdez still reported to the CIA.[^2] Cocaine profits from [[Norwin Meneses]]'s [[San Francisco]] drug operation, previously channeled through UDN-FARN to the FDN, likely began being used to benefit ARDE after the September 1982 merger. The CIA retained oversight responsibility throughout.[^2] ### Later Evolution UDN-FARN later left ARDE and rejoined the FDN under the umbrella group [[UNO]].[^1] ### Footnotes [^1]: Gary Webb, *Dark Alliance*, Glossary of Organizations and Locations [^2]: Gary Webb, *Dark Alliance*, Chapter 5: "God, Fatherland and Freedom"