Political situation in Nicaragua

Government-critical ex-military officer murdered in Costa Rica

Roberto Samcam, a former military commander from Nicaragua, was shot dead with multiple gunshots in Costa Rica on Thursday, Reuters reports. According to his wife, he was shot dead in his apartment outside the capital San José.

Samcam has been openly critical of the Nicaraguan government and President Daniel Ortega, who has been criticized by both the United Nations and human rights organizations for cracking down on dissent.

He fled the country after participating in large anti-government protests in 2018, which ended with hundreds of people dying when Nicaraguan authorities cracked down on the protests.

Witnesses: The shooter got in when the gates were being repaired

No one has been arrested after the murder of former military commander Roberto Samcam from Nicaragua, who was shot dead in his apartment in Costa Rica on Thursday. Witnesses at the scene told police that the shooter was able to sneak into the area because the gates were being repaired at the time, La Nacion reports.

Roberto Samcam's wife told local media that the shooter said he was delivering a message. The suspected killer reportedly knocked on the door and shot Samcam eight times before fleeing the scene on a motorcycle.

The former military chief was already dead when the ambulance arrived.