After the armed attack in Bogotá suffered by the Venezuelan activists Yendri Velásquez and Luis Peche on October 13, 2025, in which Both suffered multiple gunshot wounds and required emergency medical attention.Amnesty International launched an urgent action this Thursday demanding that the Colombian authorities implementation of stable and effective protection measures for human rights defenders.
The organization warned that, more than three months after the attack, the activists continue under temporary and limited security schemeswhich represents an imminent risk to their lives if they are urgently removed or not strengthened.
Insufficient defense and administrative slowness
In a statement, Amnesty International stated that The slowness in the administrative processes of the National Protection Unit (UNP) has prevented the completion of the necessary risk assessment to assign permanent protection measures, despite the initial commitment of the Colombian authorities.
“The current temporary measures are insufficient and can be withdrawn at any time, leaving Yendri and Luis in a situation of extreme vulnerability,” the organization stressed in its action addressed to the director of the UNP, Augusto Rodríguez Ballesteros.
In its call, Amnesty International urges the immediate completion of the risk assessment of Velásquez and Peche; implement comprehensive, stable and individualized protection measures, agreed directly with the defenders, and guarantee a safe environment that allows them to continue their work without fear of reprisals, recognizing their specific condition as human rights defenders and Venezuelan exiles.
International pressure will remain active until April 30, 2026 or until the full safety of both activists is guaranteed, the organization warned.
Attack against Velásquez and Peche
The attack against Velásquez and Peche, which occurred in the north of Bogotá, was condemned at the time by international organizations and human rights authorities, who also demanded that protection be strengthened for Venezuelan activists exiled after suffering persecution in their country of origin.
Velásquez, human rights defender and LGBTIQ+ activist, fled Venezuela after facing serious violations of his rights and requested international protection upon entering Colombia. Peche, of Venezuelan and Colombian nationality, has been the subject of threats derived from his political activism and complaints about the human rights situation in Venezuela.
International organizations, including the UN Office for Human Rights, also urged the Colombian State to strengthen protection measures after the attack, warning about the need for effective guarantees for human rights defenders in exile.
