Chilean Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs Gloria de la Fuente traveled to Costa Rica on Sunday to meet with authorities there and speed up the extradition of one of the suspects in the murder of Venezuelan dissident Ronald Ojeda on Chilean territory, a crime that has caused tensions between the two South American nations.
De la Fuente left for Costa Rica “in order to formalize the extradition request for Maickel Villegas, a person who in our country is accused of the kidnapping and murder of Lieutenant Ojeda,” the undersecretary told the press in a video shortly before leaving.
Venezuelan Villegas Rodríguez was named by Chilean prosecutors as one of the perpetrators of Ojeda’s murder. On February 21, four people kidnapped the Venezuelan refugee from his home, a crime captured by the building’s security cameras.
After an intense police search, Ojeda’s body was found 10 days later inside a suitcase buried under a concrete slab in a shantytown. Chilean prosecutors say several members of the criminal group Tren de Aragua carried out the crime, which was orchestrated from Venezuela.
De La Fuente said it is important that the extradition process in Costa Rica be completed as soon as possible, “and that is why we will not only go to formally submit this request but will also meet with a number of authorities to explain to them the importance of clarifying the facts for our country.”
The Ojeda case shocked the country and left a strong feeling of impunity. So far only one person has been arrested, a 17-year-old teenager, as an accomplice to the kidnapping. Two other suspects have already been identified, including Villegas, who managed to escape the country.
In addition to Villegas, there is also an international arrest warrant against Walter de Jesús Rodríguez Pérez, a Venezuelan member of the Tren de Aragua who was identified as the alleged leader in the kidnapping.
Chile has asked Venezuela for formal help to extradite the suspects so they can be tried in the country, but Caracas, which initially showed some willingness to cooperate, has questioned the investigation by the prosecutor’s office and the Chilean authorities.
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