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Chile denounces that Diosdado Cabello may have ordered Tren de Aragua to assassinate former Venezuelan lieutenant in exile

The Chilean Minister of the Interior stated that she does not rule out taking the case to the International Criminal Court (ICC) if the implication of the Venezuelan dictator's right-hand man is confirmed.

Diosdado CabelloFederico Parra / AFP

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The Chilean Prosecutor's Office reported that there are indications that link Diosdado Cabello, Venezuela's Minister of Interior, Justice and Peace and right-hand man of dictator Nicolás Maduro, with the murder of Venezuelan military officer Ronald Ojeda, who was kidnapped from his home in Santiago de Chile last year.

According to the testimony of a protected witness, Cabello allegedly gave the order to kidnap Ojeda through an intermediary known as "El Niño Guerrero," the alias of one of the main leaders of Tren de Aragua, a transnational criminal organization recently designated by the United States as a terrorist group. The witness affirmed: "I was told that Diosdado Cabello gave the instruction to carry out the kidnapping through El Niño Guerrero, paying through him."

Chile will evaluate taking the case to the International Criminal Court

This testimony has given rise to a series of investigations by Chilean authorities, who have highlighted the seriousness of the preliminary evidence. "These are relevant and reiterated antecedents," said Chilean Interior Minister Carolina Tohá, who does not rule out the possibility of escalating the case to the International Criminal Court (ICC) if the participation of high-ranking Venezuelan commanders in the crime is confirmed.

The minister stressed that Chile will act firmly in the face of this human rights violation and affirmed that "if the investigation confirms it, the State of Chile will not let it pass." In turn, the national prosecutor of Chile, Ángel Valencia Vásquez, emphasized the seriousness of the background that points to a possible connection with the dictatorial regime of Venezuela. According to Valencia, "the investigation is still reserved," but details have been shared with the defense lawyers that will be discussed in an upcoming hearing.

The murder and the political context

Ronald Ojeda, a former Venezuelan lieutenant, was kidnapped in September 2024 after receiving political asylum in Chile after fleeing Venezuela due to persecution and torture under the Maduro regime. In exile, Ojeda became a fierce critic of Chavismo and denounced human rights violations. He was branded by the Maduro regime as a "traitor to the homeland," and his name appeared on a list of alleged enemies of the government in the context of an accusation of conspiracy to destabilize the country.
 
Ojeda's body was found in a suitcase buried in a plot of land far from Santiago. Chilean authorities continue to investigate the involvement of members of Tren de Aragua and infiltrated agents of Venezuela's General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence (DGCIM) in the kidnapping.

The connection to Tren de Aragua and the Venezuelan General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence (DGCIM) is not clear.

The Tren de Aragua connection

The case has highlighted the close relationship between the Venezuelan regime and Tren de Aragua, one of the most powerful criminal organizations in Latin America. Founded in Venezuelan prisons, Tren de Aragua has a presence in several countries in the region and has been repeatedly singled out for its links to the Chavista regime.

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