Yendri Velásquez has served as coordinator of the Venezuelan Observatory of LGBTIQ+ Violence, while Luis Peche is director of the consulting agency Sala58. Both remained in exile in Colombia. Photographs: Social Media.
Guacamaya, October 14, 2025 — This Monday, Venezuelan activists Yendri Velásquez and Luis Peche were victims of a shooting attack in northern Bogotá as they left their shared residence to board a private vehicle. According to witnesses, between 15 and 20 gunshots were heard. At least 14 of them struck the two Venezuelans, who remain in stable condition despite the severity of the incident.
Velásquez and Peche were outside their residential building in the Los Cedros neighborhood of Usaquén when two assailants exited a moving vehicle and opened fire. Both activists were seriously wounded and transported to Clínica Reina Sofía in the Colombian capital.
Medical Report and Victims’ Condition
Yendri Velásquez, a human rights defender and LGBTIQ+ activist, sustained at least eight gunshot wounds. One bullet fractured his right arm, while another penetrated his pelvis and reached his abdomen. According to a source close to Velásquez, he underwent two successful surgeries and remains stable, pending evaluation for further procedures.
Luis Peche, a Venezuelan political consultant with Colombian nationality, has been exiled in Colombia since May 2025. He was hit by at least six bullets, primarily in his legs, with the right leg most severely affected. Also active in human rights advocacy and political opposition, Peche remains under observation and will require surgical intervention.
Initial Reactions and Official Statements
Colombia’s Ombudsman’s Office was the first official entity to report the attack, denouncing and condemning the incident while urging the Attorney General’s Office to conduct a “prompt and thorough” investigation and implement “urgent measures” to protect the victims. The office also noted that Velásquez had previously sought support from the institution for his international protection request.
Later, Colombian President Gustavo Petro addressed the attack, attributing it to “coordinated mafias” and reaffirming that all Venezuelan citizens are welcome in Colombia regardless of their political views. He also announced measures to strengthen protections for human rights activists.
UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and Association, Gina Romero—herself Colombian—condemned the attack, framing it as part of a broader pattern of “international repression.” She called for a transparent investigation and protective measures for the activists, criticizing the lack of response to Velásquez’s asylum request.
Condemnation from Venezuelan Opposition
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado condemned the attack and demanded a “transparent, urgent, and thorough” investigation by Colombian authorities. Edmundo González thanked Colombia’s Ombudsman for its firm stance and emphasized that both victims were politically persecuted by Nicolás Maduro’s government.
Other opposition figures, including Henrique Capriles and Antonio Ecarri, also spoke out. Capriles expressed solidarity with the victims and their families, calling for an investigation. Ecarri condemned the attack and stressed that “peace in Colombia and Venezuela depends on respecting the most sacred right of all: life.”
Civil Society and Peche’s Statement
Several civil society organizations also responded. Alianza por Venezuela issued a strong statement rejecting the attack and alerting the international community to the “urgent need” to strengthen protections for exiled Venezuelans. Provea condemned the incident and highlighted both activists’ work defending human rights in Venezuela.
Hours after the attack, Luis Peche posted on X, stating that the assault would not deter his human rights advocacy. He emphasized the dangers of political activism in Venezuela, which can lead to assassination—even abroad. “I’m still processing it, but the most important thing is that we’re here to tell the story,” he wrote.
Silence from the Venezuelan Government
As of now, no official statements have been issued by the Venezuelan government regarding the attack on Velásquez and Peche. No institution or spokesperson from Nicolás Maduro’s administration, including the president himself, has commented on the incident, despite both victims being Venezuelan citizens.
This silence comes amid growing threats to Venezuelan dissidents in exile. A similar case occurred with the assassination of dissident ex-military officer Ronald Ojeda in Santiago, Chile, in 2024. The lack of official condemnation deepens the sense of abandonment and reinforces claims of a transnational repression pattern.
Progress in the Investigation
Colombian police have reported initial findings. The vehicle used in the attack departed from the same building where Peche and Velásquez lived, just minutes before the shooting. Three individuals were reportedly involved: the driver and two gunmen who exited the vehicle at Carrera 19A and Calle 134A in the Cedritos neighborhood to carry out the attack.
The vehicle was later found in Suba, northwest Bogotá, with two pistols and ammunition magazines inside. However, the make and model of the vehicle, as well as details of the firearms, have not yet been publicly disclosed. Authorities suspect organized crime may be behind the attack.
Colombia’s National Protection Unit (UNP) announced it will expand protection measures for human rights activists. The specific perpetrators remain unidentified, although political actors and civil organizations have described the incident as part of a “transnational repression” campaign. Investigations remain ongoing to clarify the events and pursue legal accountability.
