Ronald Ojeda
Ronald Leandro Ojeda Moreno was a Venezuelan former army lieutenant and political dissident who opposed the government of Nicolás Maduro. Escaping imprisonment, Ojeda fled Venezuela in 2017 and was later granted political asylum in Chile in 2023.
On the 21 February 2024, Ojeda was abducted from his home by individuals posing as Chilean investigative police, and was found on 1 March 2024, dismembered and buried under concrete. The subsequent investigation by Chilean authorities suggested that Ojeda's murder was politically motivated, and was possibly orchestrated by the Venezuelan authorities with involvement from Tren de Aragua.
Early life and military career
Ronald Leandro Ojeda Moreno was born on 2 September 1991 in Maracay, Venezuela to a low-income family. Ojeda was one of seven siblings. Ojeda's brother, Germán Alexander Ojeda Moreno, is a Army General in the Bolivarian Army of Venezuela.In 2008, Ojeda enrolled at the Military Academy of Venezuela and graduated as an infantry lieutenant in 2012. Ojeda later joined a special forces unit in San Cristóbal. 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, 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 30 November 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 and later settled in Chile.
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 in Santiago, demanding the release of political prisoners and condemning dialogue between the Maduro regime and the opposition.In November 2023, Ojeda was granted political asylum.
Kidnapping and murder in Chile
On 21 February 2024 at 3:05 a.m five men posing as Chilean investigative police arrived outside the Ojeda family apartment in Independencia. Presenting the doorman with a false warrant, three of the individuals entered the building wearing tactical gear. Using a battering ram to gain entry to Ojeda's 14th floor apartment, Ojeda was subsequently abducted at gunpoint in front of his wife and son.His body was found on 1 March 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 Ojeda case involved multiple arrests, extradition requests, and has had significant political and diplomatic repercussions between Chile and Venezuela.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.
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, were arrested in Colombia and Costa Rica, 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."