The Judicial Police of Costa Rica, known as the Judicial Investigation Organization (OIJ), presented photographs of some men identified as suspected of participating in the material attack against the exiled Nicaraguan activist Joao Maldonado and his wife, Nadia Robletoa shooting attack carried out on January 10, 2024 in the area known as Montes de Oca, in San José, the capital of Costa Rica.
According to a video and information from the OIJ, disclosed on the website of the Costa Rican media outlet Teletica, at least four men, two vehicles and a motorcycle were involved in that attack against Maldonado and his partner.
“Both were traveling in a light vehicle in the Montes de Oca sector, San José, when they were intercepted by an apparently Formula brand motorcycle, Nano model, black with chrome parts, with two people on board, who without saying a word began to shoot on several occasions,” says the information published by Teletica.
«As this investigation progressed, the OIJ determined that, apparently, two light vehicles also participated in intelligence and surveillance work. These cars would be Hyundai brand, model I10, white and a Geely, model GX2, gray,” adds the information released by the Costa Rican Judicial Police.
Nicaraguan journalist and activist appears among the suspects seen in the OIJ video Danilo Aguirre Sequeira, whose reasons for staying in Costa Rica at that time are unknown.
Article 66 He requested a reaction from Danilo Aguirre Sequeira about these images published by the OIJ, but until the closing of this edition we were unable to locate him through his WhatsApp line.
The OIJ does not identify Aguirre Sequeira by name and surname, nor does it mention that he is a Nicaraguan citizen, but describes him as “Male of medium build, dark complexion, approximately 1.70 meters tall, without hair and with a beard.” ; who was wearing a gray t-shirt style shirt and blue “Jeans” type pants”, which coincides with the details of the person who appears in the video and who has already been identified as the opposition activist, who in 2019 ran for office. to a position on the political board of the opposition National Blue and White Unit (UNAB).
In addition to the description and images of Aguirre Sequeira, the OIJ publishes physical references of five other suspects, detailed below:
- Male of medium build, dark complexion, approximately 1.70 meters tall, without hair and with a beard; who was wearing a gray t-shirt style shirt and blue “Jeans” type pants.
- Male with a thick build, dark complexion, approximately 1.65 meters tall, short black hair; who was wearing a polo-style shirt with horizontal stripes of light blue and white, beige shorts and black sandals.
- Male with a slim build, dark complexion, approximately 1.65 meters tall; who was wearing a white long-sleeved t-shirt, gray jeans, white Nike sneakers and a black cap.
- Male of medium build, dark complexion, approximately 1.75 meters tall; who was wearing a black t-shirt style shirt with white stripes and letters on his shoulders, black jeans style pants, black tennis shoes and a black cap.
- Male of medium build, approximately 1.70 meters tall; who was wearing a gray long-sleeved t-shirt, dark blue jeans, gray tennis shoes with white soles, and a black helmet with white stripes.
- Male with a slim build, approximately 1.70 meters tall; who was wearing a white t-shirt, black sweatpants, blue tennis shoes with white soles, and a black helmet with white stripes.
The investigative body also asked the public to identify the suspects and provide information to the telephone number 800-8000-645, and offers confidential treatment.
Two attacks
Maldonado has been the target of two attacks. The first attack occurred on September 11, 2021, in the canton of Escazú. On that occasion, the OIJ reported that a subject, aboard a red Nissan Frontier pickup truck, got out of the vehicle and got on a motorcycle of the same color driven by another individual.
According to the official report of that first attack, once the two men were on the motorcycle, they began a pursuit of the white vehicle that was driven by Joao Maldonado.
“They initially shoot on the left side and after the vehicle is stopped, they position themselves in front and continue shooting at least three times.” wounding him in his collarbone, abdomen and forearm“, explained in a press conference an official of the OIJ in charge of the investigations of the case on that first occasion.
The second homicide attempt, recorded on January 10, 2024, the action was quite similar. The attackers, aboard a motorcycle, chased a light blue Hiunday car in which Maldonado and his wife were traveling. They attacked with bullets and Maldonado managed to drive, wounded, until he exited the main street of San Pedro, a few kilometers from the center of San José, where he crashed the car and managed to be treated by ambulances that took the couple to a hospital in the Costa Rican capital.
