Nobel Peace Prize winner and Venezuelan opposition leader, María Corina Machado, condemned the attack that occurred this Monday, October 13 in Bogotá against activists Yendri Velásquez and Luis Alejandro Peche, both persecuted by the Nicolás Maduro regime and residents in Colombia under refugee status.
“I denounce and condemn the attack perpetrated this Monday in Bogotá against Venezuelan human rights activists Yendri Velásquez and Luis Peche, persecuted in Venezuela by the dictatorship of Nicolás Maduro ,” Machado wrote on his X account.
The opposition leader stated that Velásquez escaped from Venezuela after being kidnapped in August 2024 for his work as a human rights defender, while Peche, a political analyst, had also left the country due to political persecution.
Machado calls for action to protect activists
Machado described the attack as "a serious attack not only against them, but against all the work of protecting and promoting human rights in the region." He also called on the Colombian government to conduct "a thorough, transparent, and urgent investigation that will clarify the facts, identify those responsible, and ensure justice."
"We ask that protection be guaranteed for them and for Venezuelan exiles in Colombia," Machado emphasized, noting that many refugees continue to face transnational threats.
President Petro announces measures
President Gustavo Petro also spoke out about the attack and reiterated the State's commitment to protecting asylum seekers in Colombia. In his message, he stated:
"All Venezuelan citizens who wish to seek asylum in Colombia, regardless of their views, are welcome, as has been demonstrated over the years. No one can say that the government has bothered them, regardless of their views. They have expressed themselves freely, and this will continue."
Petro also announced concrete measures to strengthen the security of human rights defenders: "The UNP will expand the protection of human rights activists from any country in the world to Colombia."
In his tweet, the president alluded to criminal networks that, he said, seek to destabilize the region, and affirmed that the government is aware of the objectives of the violent groups."We know what the violent groups are seeking in this case. We know about the meeting of the coordinated groups in Cúcuta," he said, adding a clear message about the state's response:"Those who want peace will be given a helping hand; the rest will be confronted with force."
This was the attack in northern Bogotá
According to information from the Ombudsman's Office, the attack occurred in the Cedritos neighborhood, Usaquén, when the two activists were leaving their home to take public transportation. Armed individuals shot them in the street and then fled the scene.
Both were transferred to Reina Sofía Hospital, where they remain out of danger. Authorities confirmed that Yendri Velásquez underwent surgery and that both are in stable condition.
The Ombudsman's Office condemned the attack and called on the Attorney General's Office to conduct an immediate investigation to identify those responsible.
“Yendri, like many other social leaders, has turned to the Ombudsman's Office seeking assistance with her international protection application,” the organization said.
Machado insisted that this attack"should raise alarm bells about political persecution that crosses borders" and reiterated his call to President Gustavo Petro to guarantee protection for Venezuelan refugees in Colombian territory.
