Chilean President Gabriel Boric, known for his leftist stance, recently criticized the Venezuelan regime, calling it a “communist left wing.” He also implicated dictator Nicolás Maduro in the assassinations of Venezuelan dissidents within Chile.
Boric has been vocal against the human rights abuses committed by Maduro’s government, which was somewhat unexpected given his prior support from the Communist Party after his election in 2021. He continues to hold progressive views domestically, particularly concerning issues like crime and healthcare, but he stands out geopolitically by distancing himself from Caracas, which fewer leftist leaders worldwide seem willing to do.
The president was recently in Rome for an event marking the assassination attempt on Chilean leftist Bernardo Leighton in 1975, organized by figures associated with the Pinochet regime. Instead of solely condemning right-wing politics, Boric drew parallels to the 2017 murder of Venezuelan dissident Ronald Ojeda, who had fled to Chile and became a critic of the government. Ojeda was found dead in March 2024, a month after disappearing.
“Dictatorships and authoritarian leaders transcend borders,” Boric stated during the event. “I think this becomes especially significant when looking at today’s international communities, fifty years later. These movements are designed to promote hatred and intolerance.”
Boric stressed that in the face of such hatred, progressive forces need to advocate for alternatives that promote humanity.
He then shifted his focus from the right to critique the left instead.
He noted that there have been killings of former Venezuelan military personnel not just in Chile, suggesting that Maduro’s regime may be involved, given claims of election theft in Venezuela.
“It’s essential to state this from the left: we cannot overlook the potential for authoritarianism to emerge anywhere, and we should defend democracy without double standards. Human rights are fundamental to civilization, not the prerogative of any political faction,” he remarked.
Boric’s comments stem from an investigation indicating that three men posing as police officers abducted Ojeda before he vanished. Chilean prosecutors have gathered evidence linking the suspects to a criminal network with ties to the Maduro government. Originally a local gang, Torren de Aragua’s influence has expanded internationally after the Maduro administration intervened in a local prison.
Chilean authorities have identified a former Venezuelan official as one of the suspects in Ojeda’s murder.
Following the murder revelations linked to Maduro’s regime, the regime’s “Attorney General,” Tarek William Saab, accused Boric’s government of being behind the killing, labeling it a “false flag operation.” Boric’s government responded by lodging a formal diplomatic complaint.
“Chile is a serious country with working institutions and responsible investigations,” Boric emphasized.
Amidst the discussions, Saab declared that Boric was “denied and hated by his people” in response to the president’s speech this week.
“Successors of Pinochet like Boric lack the moral authority to speak about Venezuela and our sovereignty,” Saab claimed, disregarding Boric’s history as a critic of Pinochet’s politics. Saab dismissed allegations of Venezuelan government involvement in Ojeda’s death without providing evidence while he did not reiterate his earlier baseless claims against Boric.
Boric has consistently challenged Maduro, insisting that the global left must renounce him. At a recent summit of leftist Latin American leaders, Boric directly confronted Maduro’s policies.
“For many of us, this is the first chance to engage directly with President Maduro of Venezuela. We acknowledge Venezuela’s return to the international stage, but I must clarify that the human rights crisis there is not a fabricated narrative; it is a pressing reality,” Boric noted.
