Boric’s Remarks on the Ojeda Case Overshadow 50th‑Anniversary Tribute to Bernardo Leighton in Italy

On the final day of his visit to Italy, President Gabriel Boric kept a packed schedule: meeting with Italian President Sergio Mattarella, leading the Chile–Italy Business Forum, and joining a ceremony honoring historic Christian Democratic leader Bernardo Leighton (pictured) on the 50th anniversary of the dictatorship’s attack against him.

Yet little of that reached the front pages. Major outlets zeroed in on Boric’s comments about the Ronald Ojeda case—the former Venezuelan military officer abducted and killed in Chile in 2024—which the president referenced in his remarks.

«Not to look far: in Chile we have the case of the murder of a former Venezuelan soldier, where one of the suspects is the very regime of dictator Nicolás Maduro, who stole the elections in his homeland,» Boric said, drawing a parallel with Leighton, who was sprayed with machine‑gun fire by Italian operatives linked to Chile’s DINA as part of Operation Condor.

The October 6, 1975 attack left Leighton with permanent brain damage and his wife, who was alongside him at the time, Anita Fresno, paraplegic.

«No double standards: the defense of human rights is constant, because human rights are a civilizational advance and not the property of any one political camp. That is what Bernardo Leighton stood for, and that is why it is worth remembering him today—his lesson, his example, remains relevant,» Boric added.

Despite the historical weight of the tribute, most domestic and international coverage focused almost exclusively on his criticism of Nicolás Maduro.

Business forum

Later, the president and the Chilean delegation took part in the Chile – Italy Business Meeting organized by InvestChile, aimed at deepening trade ties between both countries, identifying mutual investment opportunities and challenges, and highlighting Chile as a Latin American hub.

«We also believe Chilean companies can carve out space here in Italy, but I want you to know that Chile is an ideal gateway to the entire Latin American market. So let’s not limit ourselves to thinking only about our 20 million inhabitants; from Chile you can build networks into huge markets such as Brazil, Argentina, and Peru,» President Boric said.

«That is why our government has defined Italy as a priority market for promoting new reciprocal opportunities. Chile offers a dynamic environment with legal certainty, long-term institutional stability, and a way of processing our differences with more democracy—without shortcuts—with transparency and clear rules,» the head of state added.

Italy is Chile’s sixth‑largest investor, with a 5.1% share of total FDI stock as of 2023. Its main investments are in electricity, agribusiness, and construction.

In 2024, trade between Chile and Italy reached US$2.461 billion, while exports totaled US$926 million, led by copper, hazelnuts, and molybdenum. Imports amounted to US$1.534 billion, mainly cleaning machines, packaging equipment, and medicines.

Meeting with Italy’s President

To conclude his working visit to Rome, President Boric held a bilateral meeting with Italian President Sergio Mattarella, also attended by Foreign Minister Alberto van Klaveren; Minister Secretary General of the Presidency Macarena Lobos; Senate President Manuel José Ossandón; and Chile’s ambassador to Italy, Ennio Vivaldi.

At the Quirinale Palace, the leaders first held a 30-minute private meeting, followed by an expanded session with both delegations, where they discussed the update to the agreement with the European Union, the positive bilateral economic relationship between Chile and Italy, as well as democracy and human rights.

The two presidents had earlier led a seminar marking the 50th anniversary of the attack against Chilean minister and deputy Bernardo Leighton and his wife Ana María Fresno, perpetrated by agents of the dictatorship in Rome on October 6, 1975, organized by Chile’s Embassy in Italy and the Italian Vittorio Occorsio Foundation.

Previously, in July 2023, Chile’s head of state received President Mattarella at La Moneda Palace during an official visit, where they also held a bilateral meeting and signed an agreement on sustainable development and academic training.

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El Ciudadano