The Hunted: Nicaraguan Exiles Flee Ortega’s Reach

SAN JOSE/MEXICO CITY, Oct 17—
Nicaraguan exiles who once sought refuge in Costa Rica now say they are being hunted by agents loyal to President Daniel Ortega, forcing dozens to flee again — this time to Europe and North America.

Opposition figure Henry Briceno, 75, was among those expelled from Nicaragua by armed police last year and later followed by unknown men in Costa Rica. Fearing for his life, Briceno and his family escaped to Europe just seven months after settling in San Jose.

Their fears deepened after the June 19 murder of Roberto Samcam, another Nicaraguan exile and former Sandinista officer, who was shot dead in his home. It marked the third killing of a Nicaraguan political exile in Costa Rica since 2023.

Human rights groups and the U.N. have warned that Ortega’s government may be targeting dissidents abroad, extending its campaign of repression beyond Nicaragua’s borders. At least 50 Nicaraguan families have reportedly left Costa Rica since August 2024, citing threats and harassment.

Costa Rican authorities say exiles “facing risks to their life” can request protection, but few have done so. Meanwhile, four Costa Ricans are in custody for Samcam’s killing, though investigators say the mastermind remains at large.

Since the 2018 anti-government protests, President Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, have been accused of jailing, exiling, and silencing critics.
Now, as Nicaragua’s political crisis deepens, fear has followed its victims across borders.

 “The tyrants have unrestricted capacity for repression, both within Nicaragua and abroad,”          said activist Alvaro Leiva, who fled Costa Rica after years of threats.

  (Reuters)