Two Venezuelan activists were shot and injured in the Colombian capital Bogota on Monday in what local authorities suspect was a targeted, hitman-style attack.
Yendri Velasquez, a human rights and LGBTQ+ activist, and Luis Peche, a political analyst, were exiting a building in the north of Bogota when two unidentified gunmen opened fire at around midday.
Both men, who have been living in Colombia since September 2024, were said to be in a stable condition in hospital, with Velasquez set to undergo surgery.
Machado condemns attack
“This attack constitutes a serious aggression not only against them but against all the work of protecting and promoting human rights in the region,” said Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who was last week awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her pro-democracy activism.
Writing on social media, Machado said that Velasquez and Peche had been “persecuted” in Venezuela by the regime of leaderNicolas Maduro, and called on the Colombian government to conduct a “thorough, transparent, and urgent investigation.”
Velasquez and Peche had left Venezuela last year alleging political persecution.
The founder of the Venezuelan Observatory of LGBTQ+ Violence, Velasquez had been arrested at Venezuela’s main international airport outside Caracas while on his way to a human rights event in Switzerland.
Peche is a political analyst who has advised politicians, government institutions and private organizations. According to his social media profile, he was an adviser to Venezuela’s National Assembly in 2017 and 2018.
Venezuelans in Colombia
The two men are among millions of Venezuelans who have left for neighboring Colombia in the past decade amid constant political and economic crises.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro said on Monday that Venezuelans seeking asylum in Colombia were welcome “regardless of their views” and promised to expand protections for human rights activists in the country.
Colombia’s ombudsman’s office said “the Venezuelan people deserve to live in peace and democracy,” adding that Venezuelan migrants in Colombia should be afforded protections by authorities.
Venezuela’s government is yet to comment.
Edited by: Saim Dušan Inayatullah
