SAN JOSE: A fierce critic of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, retired army major Roberto Samcam, was shot dead outside his San Jose apartment on Thursday in what exiled dissidents and rights groups are calling a politically motivated assassination.
The 66-year-old, known for his outspoken criticism of the Ortega-Murillo regime, was gunned down by a man posing as a delivery agent, according to Costa Rican police. Investigators said the assailant called out to Samcam before firing at close range, hitting him at least eight times. The attacker fled the scene on a motorbike.
Samcam, who had been living in exile in Costa Rica since fleeing Nicaragua in 2018, frequently condemned Ortega’s repression and human rights abuses. “He directly denounced the dictatorship,” said his wife, Claudia Vargas, through tears at a press conference in San Jose.
Nicaraguan exiles were swift to accuse Ortega’s government of orchestrating the murder. Arturo McFields, Nicaragua’s former envoy to the OAS, described the killing as “criminal political revenge.” Noted writer Gioconda Belli echoed the sentiment, saying the manner of execution indicated political motives.
US officials expressed outrage, with the State Department offering to assist Costa Rica in tracking down those responsible. Former Costa Rican president Luis Guillermo Solis called the assassination an “outrageous and serious act.”
Major Samcam, also a political analyst, had frequently appeared in media outlets denouncing the regime’s actions since the deadly crackdown on anti-government protests in 2018 that left over 300 dead.
The assassination bears unsettling resemblance to earlier attacks on Nicaraguan dissidents abroad. In January last year, opposition figure Joao Maldonado was shot and seriously wounded in a drive-by attack in San Jose.
The killing has reignited fears among Nicaragua’s exiled community of a cross-border campaign to silence critics. “This could be the beginning of a ‘Night of the Long Knives,’” warned Dora Maria Tellez, a former ally of Ortega turned vocal opponent, referencing Hitler’s infamous political purge.
Ortega, who first came to power in 1985 and returned in 2007, has faced growing condemnation for jailing opponents, dismantling civil society, and clamping down on dissent. His government has shuttered more than 5,000 NGOs since 2018 and driven thousands into exile. Independent media now operate almost entirely from abroad.
The Nicaraguan government has remained silent on Samcam’s killing. Pro-Ortega outlets have not reported the incident.
