Murder in Chile: Is Maduro’s long arm at work?

Chile, located in the southwestern corner of South America, is a relatively stable and prosperous country, but it is an unlikely place for shocking acts of violence with overtones of international intrigue.

Nevertheless, that’s exactly what happened on February 21st, when Lieutenant Ronald Ojeda, a former Venezuelan military officer and opponent of Nicolas Maduro’s dictatorship, was caught on surveillance camera. kidnapped Santiago’s apartment was attacked by masked men wearing SWAT-type black clothing.

Suspicions quickly arose that the kidnapping was orchestrated by the Venezuelan government. Ojeda was imprisoned in Venezuela on charges of “rebellion” but later escaped and was granted asylum in Chile. Chilean authorities ordered the border to be monitored to ensure he was not spirited away. 9 days later, his a body was discovered It was buried under cement in a shantytown on the outskirts of Santiago.

Leftist government of Chile’s president Gabriel Boric Boric is clearly embarrassed by the prospect of having to face a possible crisis in relations with Venezuela, but to be fair, he has long been a critic of Venezuela’s human rights work. I’ve been doing it.but Chilean Communist PartyIt has close ties to the Maduro government and is an important member of the ruling coalition. Borich’s team has worked to quell speculation about the culprit during the ongoing investigation.

Conservative opposition parties, on the other hand, did not hesitate to link Mr. Ojeda’s death to what they considered to be the case. Chilean border control is lax and lack of adequate intelligence capabilities. He also criticizes the following: Agreement on police cooperation It was signed between Chile and Venezuela in mid-January. Chilean communists reject the idea that Venezuela is officially involved in the kidnappings and murders.The party’s secretary general went so far as to: Infer The CIA did it for some reason.

Because the investigation is in its early stages, only a limited amount of information has been released. Nevertheless, a young Venezuelan man allegedly involved in the crime was arrested.He is reportedly a member of the Torren de Aragua, A drug cartel based in Venezuela that is increasing its presence in Chile.

No information has emerged linking Ojeda to drug trafficking, raising questions about whether the cartel carried out its crimes at the behest of the Venezuelan government. Another potential participant was identified, and his name appears to have appeared on a pay slip in the office of the then governor of Venezuela’s Aragua state. Tarek El Aissami.

Since Hugo Chávez first took power, the United States has viewed Venezuela through the lens of its suffocation of democracy at home, its support for authoritarian left-wing regimes in Cuba and Nicaragua, and its impact on global oil markets. .US approach differs from President Trump’s “Maximum pressure” Biden’s latest news negotiation efforts A path to minimally democratic elections.

However, if Venezuela was behind Ojeda’s assassination, we are witnessing what can only be described as state-sponsored international terrorism. This would put Venezuela in the same category as Russia, as well as Iran and North Korea, and could have implications for future U.S. policy.

Whether or not this triggers further sanctions, if Venezuela is evolving into a true “rogue state,” it may be more directly relevant in terms of the threat it could pose to U.S. national security. may need to be considered. In any event, the United States should provide the Chilean authorities with all available intelligence and law enforcement assistance in uncovering the truth behind this crime.

Richard M. Sanders is a senior fellow for the Western Hemisphere at the Center for the National Interest. He is a former member of the State Department’s Senior Foreign Affairs Service and served at the U.S. embassies in both Santiago and Caracas.