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NGO Demands Investigation into Chain of Command in Nicaraguan Dissident's Assassination
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Crime & Justice

NGO Demands Investigation into Chain of Command in Nicaraguan Dissident's Assassination

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • A human rights NGO is calling for an investigation into the chain of command responsible for the assassination of Nicaraguan opposition figure Roberto Samcam.
  • The NGO acknowledged progress with the arrest of five suspects but stressed that full justice requires identifying those who ordered and financed the killing.
  • Samcam, who was stripped of his Nicaraguan nationality, had denounced the Nicaraguan Army's involvement in repression and espionage against exiles.

A human rights organization is demanding a thorough investigation into the hierarchy behind the assassination of exiled Nicaraguan opposition leader Roberto Samcam. The Colectivo de Derechos Humanos para la Memoria Histórica de Nicaragua stated that while the recent arrest of five individuals involved in the execution is a step forward, complete justice hinges on uncovering the entire chain of responsibility.

Samcam, a former major in the Nicaraguan Army who later became a Spanish citizen, was shot and killed in his home in Costa Rica on June 19, 2025. Costa Rican authorities are investigating a political motive for the crime. The Colectivo emphasized that the legal process must go beyond identifying the direct perpetrators, facilitators, and intermediaries. It must also pinpoint those who ordered, financed, and planned the assassination from Nicaragua.

Samcam had been a vocal critic of the Sandinista government and the Nicaraguan Army, which he accused of participating in repression and extrajudicial killings since 2018. He fled to Costa Rica in July 2018 due to security concerns. Nicaraguan authorities had stripped him and 93 others of their nationality and assets, accusing them of "treason."

The NGO highlighted that the persecution of Nicaraguan dissidents extends beyond borders, involving surveillance, threats, and harassment of exiles. They view the upcoming trial as a critical opportunity to pursue the complete truth and identify intellectual authors, potentially uncovering transnational links or involvement of government-related agents. The Colectivo urged Costa Rican authorities to ensure an independent and exhaustive investigation, keeping open the lines of inquiry into political crime, state-sponsored repression, and transnational repression, which could also pave the way for international justice.

Sin embargo, advertimos que la justicia no estará completa mientras no se establezca toda la cadena de responsabilidad.

— Colectivo de Derechos Humanos para la Memoria Histórica de NicaraguaThe NGO stated that justice would be incomplete without establishing the full chain of responsibility for the assassination.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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