Chilean Interior Minister Carolina Toha said all “eyes” were on Venezuela to push for justice.
Chile has announced plans to seek the extradition of two Venezuelans it says are suspected in the gruesome murder of a political dissident.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Chilean Interior Minister Carolina Toha called on her Venezuelan counterparts to be partners in her country’s pursuit of justice.
“What happened in this crime is important for Chile,” she said said. “We give it the utmost importance, but it is also important for Venezuela.”
She said they would “keep an eye on” Venezuela’s behavior in the matter. “The willingness to cooperate with this investigation must be reflected in the facts – firstly by identifying those responsible and secondly by making it easier for them to stand trial.”
Toha’s statement comes as part of an investigation into the killing of 32-year-old Ronald Ojeda, a Venezuelan dissident and former military lieutenant.
Ojeda was imprisoned in Venezuela for alleged treason. In 2017 he fled to Chile, where he applied for and received asylum.
From abroad, Ojeda continued to be vocal in his criticism of the government of President Nicolás Maduro, whose administration has been accused of human rights abuses and suppression of dissent.
But in the early morning of February 21, surveillance footage showed three men disguised as Chilean police officers kidnapping Ojeda from his apartment. His body was later discovered on March 1, stuffed into a suitcase and buried under powdered lime and cement in a Santiago suburb.
Chilean police then arrested a 17-year-old Venezuelan suspect allegedly linked to the Tren de Aragua, Venezuela’s largest criminal network. Officials said two other suspects fled to Venezuela.
Chilean authorities suspected on Friday that the murder was politically motivated and coordinated from Venezuela itself.
“We are talking about a victim who participated in actions against the Venezuelan government and secondly, he has been imprisoned in Venezuela for nine months. He fled and has political asylum in Chile,” said Hector Barros, prosecutor of the organized crime and murder team in Santiago.
“Given his profile, there is no other line of inquiry.”
But earlier this week, Venezuela denied the continued existence of the Tren de Aragua criminal group, with Foreign Minister Yvan Gil calling it “a fiction created by the international media.”
That prompted one Outcry from the Chilean government. “It is an insult to the people of Chile and Latin America,” Toha said Monday, citing violent incidents attributed to the group across the region.
Chilean President Gabriel Boric also announced on Thursday that he would recall his government’s ambassador to Venezuela in response.
“The Venezuelan Chancellor’s irresponsible statements ignoring the existence of the Tren de Aragua are worrying and represent a serious insult to those who have fallen victim to this organization, as well as showing a lack of commitment to the necessary international cooperation on security issues. “ “Boric wrote on social media.
Venezuela has not yet responded to Chile’s recent extradition requests. She denied responsibility for Ojeda’s murder.
Maduro is seeking a third term in office in the upcoming presidential election on July 28.
But the race was marred by allegations that his government sought to intimidate and derail the opposition, including through detentions, arrest warrants and bans on holding public office.
Chilean Interior Minister Toha emphasized on Friday the need for cooperation on justice issues.
“In a case like this and the implications it brings, the focus must be on ensuring that justice is done, that the truth is found, that those responsible are discovered and that they face appropriate punishment [their crimes],” She said.