The Colombian Ombudsman’s Office rejected the armed attack against the activist Yendri Velásquez, who is seeking refuge in that country after going into exile in September 2024, and the political analyst Luis Peche Arteaga
The Colombian Police reported on the afternoon of this Monday the 13th about a “hitman attack” against the Venezuelan activists Yendri Velásquez and Luis Peche, after leaving their residence in Bogotá.
According to a police report, both were approached “by two individuals” who shot at them. Peche, who works as a political consultant, and Velásquez, a human rights defender, were transferred to the Reina Sofía hospital where they were stabilized after receiving several gunshot wounds.
However, Velásquez was admitted to surgery, says the Colombian Police report. Luis Peche is a political analyst and Velásquez has been part of Amnesty International.
The Colombian Police managed to retain the vehicle used for the crime, but the subjects involved managed to escape.
The Colombian Ombudsman’s Office rejected the attack against Velásquez, who is seeking refuge in that country after going into exile in September 2024, after having been detained and forcibly disappeared on August 3, 2024 while attempting to travel to a session of the UN Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination.
«The Venezuelan people deserve to live in peace and democracy. While they are in Colombian territory, migrants and refugees must have the support and accompaniment of the authorities, to guarantee their rights. We urge the Attorney General’s Office to carry out a prompt and exhaustive investigation that will clarify the facts and adopt urgent protection measures for the victims,” the Ombudsman’s Office highlighted in its count in X.
Likewise, the Colombian institution rejected any form of “violence, stigmatization or discrimination against people seeking refuge and asylum in the country. “We will continue working so that the right to migrate is respected, and so that the rights of all migrants and refugees who seek a safe place in Colombia to rebuild their lives are promoted and guaranteed.”
*Journalism in Venezuela is carried out in a hostile environment for the press with dozens of legal instruments in place to punish the word, especially the laws “against hate”, “against fascism” and “against the blockade.” This content was written taking into consideration the threats and limits that, consequently, have been imposed on the dissemination of information from within the country.
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