Venezuelan Refugees and Activists Shot in Colombia After Fleeing Maduro Regime

Two Venezuelan exiles living in Colombia, political consultant Luis Peche Arteaga and human rights activist Yendri Velásquez, were shot and wounded Monday afternoon in northern Bogotá. The attack has sparked alarm among human rights organizations and migrant groups, who warn that violence against critics of the Maduro regime is spreading across Latin America.

According to initial reports, both men were leaving the residential building where they live when gunmen opened fire from a moving vehicle. Witnesses said at least ten shots were fired before the assailants escaped. Residents and workers in the area helped the victims until paramedics arrived. Both men were taken to a nearby hospital, treated for gunshot wounds, and later declared stable.

The Victims

Yendri Velásquez is a human rights defender and member of Amnesty International. He is also an LGBTQ+ activist well known among Venezuelan migrants in Bogotá. Velásquez has lived in Colombia for more than a year after being detained and disappearing for several days by Venezuelan state agents when he attempted to leave Caracas for a United Nations conference. Since then, he has requested asylum and participated in campaigns promoting the rights of refugees and minorities.

Luis Peche Arteaga, director of the political consultancy Sala 58 and a dual citizen of Venezuela and Colombia, fled Caracas in May after receiving threats linked to his work. His decision to leave came after the kidnapping of his friend, journalist Carlos Marcano, by Venezuelan intelligence forces, an incident documented by press freedom groups.

His last post on X (Twitter) before the attack was criticizing Maduro’s decision to close the Venezuelan embassy in Oslo after the Norwegian Nobel Prize Organization recognized opposition leader María Corina Machado with the Nobel Peace Prize last week.

Official Reaction

The Colombian Ombudsman’s Office condemned the attack and urged authorities to investigate. In a public statement, the agency reminded the government of its duty to guarantee the safety of refugees and asylum seekers. It emphasized that the Venezuelan people deserve to live in peace and democracy and that those forced to migrate must be protected while on Colombian soil.

Human rights organizations have expressed concern over an increase in threats and assaults against Venezuelan dissidents who sought refuge in Colombia, Peru, and Chile.

These incidents form part of a growing pattern of intimidation that Venezuelan exiles and international observers describe as transnational repression. They coincide with escalating pressure inside Venezuela, where human rights groups estimate there are more than 280 political prisoners detained for opposing Nicolás Maduro’s government.