Central America is the geographic region connecting North and [[South America]] that was the primary theater of operations for the Contra war, [[cocaine]] trafficking, and [[Central Intelligence Agency]] covert activities during the 1980s.[^1] ### Contra War Theater The Central American nations of [[Nicaragua]], [[Honduras]], [[El Salvador]], [[Costa Rica]], and [[Guatemala]] formed the battleground for the U.S.-backed Contra war against the [[Sandinistas|Sandinista]] government of Nicaragua. The [[FDN]] operated from Honduras, while [[ARDE]] and [[UDN-FARN]] were based in Costa Rica. [[Ilopango Airbase|Ilopango Air Force Base]] in El Salvador served as the hub for [[Oliver North]]'s Contra air force.[^2] ### Drug Trafficking Corridor Central America was the transit corridor for cocaine flowing from [[Colombia]] and [[Bolivia]] to the [[United States]]. CIA-connected pilots and Contra aircraft moved drugs through airstrips in Costa Rica, Ilopango in El Salvador, and forward operating bases in Honduras. DEA agent [[Celerino Castillo]] documented Contra drug shipments from Ilopango, and [[Enrique Miranda]] testified about cocaine flights from El Salvador to U.S. military airfields in [[Texas]].[^3] ### Footnotes [^1]: Gary Webb, *Dark Alliance*, Glossary of Organizations and Locations [^2]: Gary Webb, *Dark Alliance*, Chapter 13: "The wrong kind of friends" [^3]: Gary Webb, *Dark Alliance*, Chapter 13: "The wrong kind of friends"