The Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado urged the Colombian authorities this Monday to guarantee the protection of Yendri Velásquez, human rights defender and LGTBIQ+ activist, and Luis Alejandro Peche, political consultant, who They were injured by gunshot after going to the Ombudsman’s Office in Bogotá to request support in your international protection process.
Through her account on X, the winner of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize stated: “We ask that protection be guaranteed for them and for Venezuelans exiled in Colombia.”
Research demands
Machado asked Gustavo Petro’s government for an “exhaustive, transparent and urgent investigation that will clarify the facts, identify those responsible and guarantee justice.” He stressed that “this attack constitutes a serious aggression not only against them, but against all work to protect and promote human rights in the region.”
Yendri Velásquez was in Colombia under refugee status after having escaped “from the hands of the regime, after being kidnapped in August 2024 for his work as a human rights defender,” indicated the opposition leader.
In the case of Luis Peche, Machado stated that he had also fled to Bogotá due to “political persecution by the Nicolás Maduro regime.”
Institutional response
The Ombudsman of Colombia condemned the attack and urged the Prosecutor’s Office to open a “prompt and exhaustive” investigation that would clarify the facts and adopt protection measures for the victims. The institution reiterated its rejection of “all forms of violence, stigmatization or discrimination against those seeking refuge and asylum in Colombia.”
Both activists were transferred to the Reina Sofía Clinic, where they are reported to be out of danger, although Velásquez required surgical intervention, the Police reported.
