Exiled Nicaraguan dissident Reinaldo Picado was shot on Monday while he was working in his residence in Costa Rica, multiple outlets reported.
Nicaraguan dissident and activist organizations have reportedly attributed the incident to the actions of the communist regime led by dictatorial husband-and-wife couple Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo.
Reinaldo Picado, also known as “Commander Ómar,” is a 53-year-old former member of the Nicaraguan Contras and a former councilman of the Nicaraguan town of Kukra Hill. Picado, a dissident of the Ortega regime, went into exile in 2018 and sought refuge in Costa Rica in the aftermath of that year’s anti-communist protests in Nicaragua, to which dictator Daniel Ortega responded with a brutal persecution campaign that left over 300 dead.
In recent years, the Ortega regime has unsuccessfully sought to extradite Picado, accusing him and others of allegedly being involved in the deaths of a police officer and a civilian. Costa Rica ultimately granted official refugee status to Picado in 2025, effectively ending the extradition request process.
The Nicaraguan outlet Confidential reports that Picado was shot by two unknown individuals in Costa Rica, receiving three gunshot wounds. Picado was transferred to a local hospital in San José and is presently undergoing recovery under the protection of agents of Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Department (OIJ). The Nicaraguan Exiles Unit, a non-government organization, reportedly explained to international outlets that Picado was carrying out remodeling work at his residence in San José when the two assailants arrived in a vehicle and unsuccessfully attempted to break into the residence, firing from a hallway and injuring Picado.
Although Costa Rican officials have not publicly provided details on the incident, the Nicaraguan human rights collective Nicaragua Nunca Mas (“Nicaragua Never Again”) reportedly attributed the attack to the Ortega regime, affirming that it represents a new act of transnational repression committed by the ruling communists. The group’s coordinator, Salvador Marenco, affirmed to Confidencial that the organization has documented “over 200” cases of dissidents being repressed across borders by the Ortega regime — including not just attacks like the one Picado suffered, but also instances of surveillance, harassment and threats, including several by the Ortega regime on the internet.
“This is yet another example of how Nicaragua, as has been pointed out previously, is a threat to the hemisphere,” Marenco said.
“In general, transnational repression is a well-established reality in the region, but what is most concerning is that they continue to dare to try to kill people in democratic countries like Costa Rica,” he added.
Monday’s attack marked the second such attempt against Picado this year. Per the Argentine outlet Infobae, an unsuccessful attempt took place in late June. At the time, Picado was reportedly walking near his home when a man followed him and pointed a gun at his head. According to Infobae, Picado grabbed the man’s hand and struggled for control of the firearm, leading to a misfire. The assailant broke free and fled in a vehicle that awaited him. Picado reported the incident to the Costa Rican OIJ, which later confirmed having received the report.
Over the past years, several exiled Nicaraguan dissidents have been the target of violent attacks. Last year, in June 2025, a group of armed individuals assassinated former Nicaraguan military official Roberto Sancam, who also lived in exile in Costa Rica since 2018. Sancam, 68 at the time of his death, received eight gunshot wounds in his body. Much like Monday’s attack, exiled dissidents of the Ortega regime — and former Costa Rican Presidents Laura Chinchilla and Luis Guillermo Solís — accused the ruling communists of being behind the death of Sancam.
A similar situation occurred on two different occasions against dissident Joao Maldonado and wife Nadia Robleto. The couple was first shot in 2021 and then years later in 2024. Although both survived the two attacks, Robleto reportedly suffers from “permanent consequences.” The pair also participated in the 2018 anti-communist protests and went into exile in Costa Rica during Daniel Ortega’s brutal repression campaign.
Christian K. Caruzo is a Venezuelan writer and documents life under socialism. You can follow him on Twitter here.
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