Ronald Leandro Ojeda Moreno (September 2, 1991 – February 21–24, 2024) was a Venezuelan military officer, political dissident, and refugee in Chile. He was known for his opposition to the government of

Nicolás Maduro Nicolás Maduro Moros (; born 23 November 1962) is a Venezuelan politician and former union leader serving as the 53rd president of Venezuela since 2013. Previously, he was the 24th Vice President of Venezuela, vice president from 2012 to 20 ...

. Ojeda was kidnapped in

Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile (), is the capital and largest city of Chile and one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is located in the country's central valley and is the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Regi ...

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...

, on February 21, 2024, and his body was found ten days later. The Chilean Public Ministry activated the Minnesota Protocol after signs of torture were detected during the autopsy. One suspect was detained, while two others fled to

Caracas Caracas ( , ), officially Santiago de León de Caracas (CCS), is the capital and largest city of Venezuela, and the center of the Metropolitan Region of Caracas (or Greater Caracas). Caracas is located along the Guaire River in the northern p ...

. The Chilean authorities suggested that the crime had political motives and was orchestrated from

Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...

Early life and military career

Ojeda was born on September 2, 1991, in

Maracay, Venezuela Maracay () is a city in north-central Venezuela, near the Caribbean coast, and is the capital and most important city of the States of Venezuela, state of Aragua. Most of it falls under the jurisdiction of Girardot Municipality, Aragua, Girardo ...

, southwest of

. His low-income family lived there and he had seven siblings. In 2008, he enrolled in the Venezuelan Military Academy and graduated as an infantry lieutenant in 2012. He later joined a special forces unit in San Cristóbal, where he met his future wife, Jetsy. They married in December 2016. Ojeda openly criticized the Venezuelan government, claiming to have conducted intelligence operations against high-ranking officials involved in corruption.

Detention in Venezuela

Ojeda and his comrade, José Rodríguez, were repeatedly detained and accused of being part of the "Espada de Dios" conspiracy, charged with military rebellion, incitement to rebellion, and treason. Both claimed to have been tortured by the Venezuelan military counterintelligence agency. During his imprisonment at Ramo Verde Prison in

Los Teques Los Teques () is the capital of the state of Miranda, and the municipality of Guaicaipuro in north-central Venezuela. The city is about 25 km southwest of Caracas, and above mean sea level. It lies in the Cordillera de la Costa, on the ba ...

, Ojeda befriended fellow detainee Eduardo Figueroa Marchena, a former aviation lieutenant. In April 2017, Ojeda was arrested again, accused of rebellion and treason, following his involvement with the Movement for Liberty and Democracy, which rejected Nicolás Maduro as commander-in-chief of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces. Ojeda alleged that he was tortured during this detention. On November 30, 2017, Ojeda and eight other officers escaped during a transfer from a military court to Ramo Verde Prison. A shootout with local police ensued, resulting in the death of one escapee, Rafael Arreaza, and the severe injury of another, Luis Mogollón. Five officers, including Ojeda, managed to flee to

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

and later settled in

Exile in Chile

In 2018, the Maduro government issued a decree expelling 24 military officers, including Ojeda, without trial. Ojeda gained attention in November 2022 when he protested in front of

La Moneda Palace Palacio de La Moneda (, ''Palace of the Mint''), or simply La Moneda, is the seat of the president of the Republic of Chile. It also houses the offices of three cabinet ministers: Interior, General Secretariat of the Presidency, and General S ...

in Santiago, demanding the release of political prisoners and condemning dialogue between the Maduro regime and the opposition. Chile granted him

political asylum The right of asylum, sometimes called right of political asylum (''asylum'' ), is a juridical concept, under which people persecuted by their own rulers might be protected by another sovereignty, sovereign authority, such as a second country or ...

in November 2023.

Kidnapping and murder in Chile

On February 21, 2024, Ojeda was kidnapped from his apartment in Independencia, Santiago, by individuals posing as Chilean investigative police officers. His body was found on March 1, 2024, dismembered and buried in a suitcase under a concrete slab in Maipú. Preliminary autopsy results indicated death by mechanical asphyxiation, occurring between seven and ten days prior to the discovery.

Judicial process

The investigation, led by Chilean prosecutor Héctor Barros, suggested that the crime was politically motivated and possibly orchestrated by Venezuelan authorities with the involvement of the Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan criminal organization. Two suspects, Walter Rodríguez Pérez and Maikel Villegas Rodríguez, fled to Venezuela, prompting Chile to request their

extradition In an extradition, one Jurisdiction (area), jurisdiction delivers a person Suspect, accused or Conviction, convicted of committing a crime in another jurisdiction, into the custody of the other's law enforcement. It is a cooperative law enforc ...

. As of July 2024, the only detainee in the case was a 17-year-old Venezuelan minor. The Chilean Supreme Court granted a 60-day extension for the investigation. Meanwhile, key suspects, including Villegas and Larry Álvarez Núñez ("Larry Changa"), were arrested in

Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...

and

Costa Rica Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as Maritime bo ...

, respectively, with extradition processes underway. In January 2025, Barros linked the murder to a faction of the Tren de Aragua operating in Chile, implicating 16 individuals in Ojeda's killing. Barros revealed that three witnesses implicated the Maduro government. One detainee alleged that Cabello ordered and financed the murder through a criminal intermediary known as "El Niño Guerrero."

Political reactions

The case strained diplomatic relations between Chile and Venezuela. Venezuelan politician

Diosdado Cabello Diosdado Cabello Rondón (born 15 April 1963Vicepresidencia de la República Bolivariana de VenezuelaDiosdado Cabello Rondón, accessed 19 April 2010) is a Venezuelan politician who currently serves as Minister of Interior, Justice and Peace s ...

denied any involvement. In January 2025 in reaction to the Chilean prosecutor's findings, Chilean Interior Minister Carolina Tohá said that Chile would appeal to the

International Criminal Court The International Criminal Court (ICC) is an intergovernmental organization and International court, international tribunal seated in The Hague, Netherlands. It is the first and only permanent international court with jurisdiction to prosecute ...

if Venezuelan government involvement in the case was confirmed.

Legacy

Ojeda left behind manuscripts detailing alleged corruption within the Venezuelan military, which his family intends to publish. The Venezuelan Political Persecuted Exiles Organization (Veppex) established the "Order of the Venezuelan Exile Ronald Ojeda" to honor Venezuelan exiles fighting for democracy.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ojeda, Ronald Venezuelan military personnel Crime in Santiago, Chile 1991 births 2024 deaths Assassinated Venezuelan military personnel