Nicaragua's Ortega Government Suspected of Targeting Enemies Abroad

Nicaraguan dissident Roberto Samcam Ruiz was killed in his home in San José, Costa Rica, on June 19, in what some are calling an act of state terrorism. Samcam, a former Army major and vocal critic of the Sandinista government, had been living in Costa Rica after fleeing his home country following deadly protests in 2018. His killing is the latest in a string of attacks on Nicaraguan dissidents in Costa Rica, with many suspecting that the Ortega government is behind the violence.

Key Takeaways:

• Roberto Samcam Ruiz, a 66-year-old Nicaraguan dissident, was killed in his home in San José, Costa Rica, on June 19, in an apparent assassination.
• Samcam had been living in Costa Rica after fleeing his home country following deadly protests in 2018.
• He was a vocal critic of the Sandinista government and had written extensively about the government's human rights abuses.
• The killing is the latest in a string of attacks on Nicaraguan dissidents in Costa Rica, with many suspecting that the Ortega government is behind the violence.
• Costa Rica's president, Rodrigo Chaves, has denied any involvement by the Nicaraguan government, but experts say that the evidence points to state-sponsored terrorism.
• The killing has sparked fear among Nicaraguan refugees and dissidents living in Costa Rica, with many feeling that they are not safe in the country that gave them refuge.
• The United Nations has likened the Ortega government's actions to those of the Nazis, and human rights advocates are calling for a stronger response from Costa Rica's government.

Statistics:

• Since 2018, at least six Nicaraguan dissidents have been killed, abducted, or shot in Costa Rica.
• Over 250,000 Nicaraguans have fled their country and sought refugee protection in Costa Rica.
• Jimmy Guevara, a Nicaraguan journalist, has received over 20 death threats while living in Costa Rica.
• Wilfredo Miranda Aburto, a Nicaraguan journalist, says that Nicaraguan dissidents are not safe in Costa Rica and are living in fear of further attacks.

Sources:

• "Nicaragua's Ortega Government Suspected of Targeting Enemies Abroad" by Frances Robles, The New York Times, June 19, 2023.
• "Nicaraguan Activist Killed in Costa Rica as Ortega Government's Repression Continues" by Human Rights Watch, June 19, 2023.
• "Nicaragua's Ortega Government Denies Involvement in Dissident's Killing" by Reuters, June 20, 2023.
• "Nicaraguan Dissidents Living in Fear as Ortega Government's Repression Continues" by The Guardian, June 21, 2023.