In a shocking incident that has shaken the expatriate community, Joao Maldonado, a prominent Nicaraguan opposition leader, and his wife Nadia Robleto were gravely injured in an armed attack. Maldonado, an exile from the Ortega regime, and Robleto were targeted in San Pedro de Montes de Oca, marking the second attempt on Maldonado’s life since his exile in Costa Rica.
Joao Maldonado has been living in exile in Costa Rica since July 2018. This recent attack is a grim reminder of the dangers he faces, even outside his homeland. The first assassination attempt occurred in September 2021, when Maldonado was ambushed and shot four times by two gunmen on a motorcycle in Escazú. Following this attack, he was placed under a protection program by the Directorate of Investigation and Security (DIS).
According to Nicaraguan news outlet 100% noticias, the couple was enrolled in a protection program with the Judicial Investigation Organism (OIJ) of Costa Rica. They were planning to relocate to the United States with their two daughters and Maldonado’s sister-in-law, under the Safe Mobility program coordinated by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
The couple’s plans were tragically interrupted around 11 am when they were ambushed by two individuals on a motorcycle while traveling in their vehicle near the Calle de la Amargura area. The Costa Rican Red Cross confirmed the severity of the incident, reporting that Maldonado and Robleto suffered multiple gunshot wounds and were in critical condition upon being rushed to Calderón Guardia Hospital.
“A male patient with multiple gunshot wounds was transported in delicate condition. A private ambulance unit also took a woman in critical condition. Both were found in a vehicle on the roadway,” stated an official from the Red Cross.
This attack comes after Maldonado’s statement in September 2023 to the Costa Rican newspaper La Nación, where he expressed concerns about receiving death threats from a cell allegedly linked to Daniel Ortega’s regime operating in Costa Rica.
Joao Maldonado, serving as the coordinator of the Unit of Nicaraguan Exiles in Costa Rica (UEN), comes from Jinotepe, Carazo. He is known for his active role in opposing the Nicaraguan government under Daniel Ortega. This latest incident raises serious concerns about the safety of political exiles in Costa Rica and the reach of Nicaraguan political conflicts beyond its borders.
