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Costa Rica’s President Laura Fernández was evacuated on Friday after a loud explosion occurred during her visit to a mining area near the border with Nicaragua.
The incident happened in the town of Crucitas, a region known for illegal gold mining.
Fernández, a conservative populist leader, later confirmed to reporters that she was safe after the scare.
“It felt like what you see in a movie. They grab you by the hair, throw you to the ground and put you in a car,” she said.
According to AFP, video footage showed bodyguards rushing the president into a vehicle after the blast of unknown origin, while she briefly lay on the ground as they shielded her.
Fernández said security officers followed standard protocol and ensured she was not harmed.
“They examined me as per protocol, but I am fine,” she added.
The president said to reporters that the incident highlights the dangers in the area, where criminal groups are involved in illegal mining and environmental destruction.
Earlier, on June 3, the government said it had received intelligence about a suspected assassination plot allegedly planned from within a prison targeting Fernández.
She took office in May after winning the February 1 elections, succeeding her political mentor Rodrigo Chaves.
Fernández had campaigned on a promise to tackle rising crime in the country, which was once considered one of the safest in Latin America.
In January, Chaves also claimed he had faced an assassination threat, though authorities did not provide evidence. Costa Rica and Nicaragua had earlier agreed in March to strengthen cooperation against illegal mining along their shared border.
