The world lightweight champion of the World Boxing Council (WBC), the Venezuelan Edwin Valero, was arrested and charged on Sunday after admitting the murder of his wife, whose body was found dead in a hotel room, authorities said .

The boxer, who had been arrested in March on charges of domestic violence, holds the WBC title “in recess” while he underwent drug and alcoholism treatment in a psychiatric hospital.

“The murder of the 24 year-old women was in a room at the Intercontinental hotel. Subsequently, Valero went down to the hotel reception and confessed  being the perpetrator of the homicide,” said the Attorney General.

Television footage showed the boxer, wearing a sleeveless shirt and a red cap, being taken by security forces in the central state of Carabobo.

The “Inca” Valero, 28 years old, is a well known and popular sports figure in Venezuela from winning the WBA super featherweight championship in 2006 and was waiting to get a visa to fight in the U.S. when his rehabilitation was over .

Recognized by prtnership with the President Hugo Chavez, Valero has tattooed on his chest a flag of Venezuela with the face of the socialist president, who has supported in some public events wearing his championship lightweight WBC belt, that now holds the Mexican Humberto Soto.

In March, the boxer held the national headlines after being accused of mistreating his wife, although he was not to charge because the woman filed charges against him.

In that process, Valero confessed alcoholic and drug addiction, and was sentenced to six months of rehabilitation.