Edén Pastora Gómez (born January 22, 1937?) was the leader of the ADREN; the largest contra army in southern Nicaragua in the 1980s. Nicknamed Comandante Cero ("Commander Zero") by the U.S. intelligence community, Pastora was reviled by Oliver North and other Reagan era insiders for his refusal to subordinate to the CIA-backed FDN. January 22 is the 22nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1937 was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... For other uses of the word or name, see contra (disambiguation). ... Oliver North - Former Marine Colonel Oliver L. North (born October 7, 1943 in San Antonio, Texas) is an American political figure best known for his involvement in the Iran-Contra Affair. ... Order: 40th President Vice President: George H.W. Bush Term of office: January 20, 1981 – January 20, 1989 Preceded by: Jimmy Carter Succeeded by: George H.W. Bush Date of birth: February 6, 1911 Place of birth: Tampico, Illinois Date of death: June 5, 2004 Place of death: Los Angeles... CIA, see CIA (disambiguation). ... The Nicaraguan Democratic Force (Fuerza Democratica Nicaraguense, or FDN) was one of the earliest Contra groups formed in 1980 in Honduras. ...

Pastora began his rebel career when he decided that the Somoza government of Nicaragua was corrupt and joined the FSLN in the mid 1960s. He became a rebel guerrilla, and was the mastermind behind the August 1978 attack on the Nicaraguan National Palace, in which he and a band of FSLN operatives disguised as members of Somoza's National Guard stormed the Palace, killing the real National Guardsmen in the process. Among the hostages taken were members of the Nicaraguan Congress, which was in session at the time of the attack, and Somoza's half brother, José Somoza. This operation was organised to free FSLN members imprisoned by the regime, among the prisioners being Daniel Ortega. After negotiating a USD $500,000 deal with Somoza and Cardinal Miguel Obando y Bravo, Pastora, Ortega and other released prisoners left for Cuba. Anastasio Somoza was the name of two presidents of Nicaragua. ... Sandinista! is also the name of a popular music album by The Clash. ... Ortega addresses the UN General Assembly Daniel Ortega Saavedra (born 11 November 1945) was President of Nicaragua from 1985 to 1990, during the Sandinista government, and is currently the leader of the Sandinista party. ... The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States. ...

Disenchanted at the fact that even though he had devoted a great portion of his life to the revolution he had received no political power in return, Pastora turned against the Sandinista regime and became a Contra. Sandinista! is also the name of a popular music album by The Clash. ...

Pastora was linked to narcotics trafficking, particularly cocaine. It is believed that his cooperation with the Medellín Cartel helped finance his activities. Cocaine is a crystalline alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. ... The Medellín Cartel was a well-organized but very loose network of drug smugglers originating in the city of Medellín in Colombia and operating through the 1970s and 1980s. ...

Pastora had three failed marriages. Lamenting about the interpersonal strains that occur in the life of a revolutionary, Pastora said: "The first thing we revolutionaries lose is our wives. The last thing we lose is our lives. In between our women and our lives, we lose our freedom, our happiness, our means of living."

He was seen at a Sandinista demonstration over the slow certification of winners in the November 5, 2000 municipal elections. Pastora has been reportedly living as a fisherman on the San Juan River along the border with Costa Rica.