Six months of impunity: The attempted murder of Yendri Velásquez and Luis Peche demands an urgent response

April 15, 2026

International human rights organizations call on Colombia and Venezuela to take action against transnational repression

On October 13, 2025, two unidentified men opened fire on Venezuelan human rights defender Yendri Omar Velásquez Rodríguez and Colombian-Venezuelan political analyst Luis Alejandro Peche Arteaga as they were leaving a residential building in Bogotá. Today, six months later, those responsible have not been identified or arrested. The signing organizations express our grave concern regarding this state of impunity and the persistent risk faced by Venezuelan human rights defenders abroad.

Yendri Velásquez, founder of the Venezuelan Observatory on LGBTIQ+ Violence and a member of Amnesty International Venezuela, was subjected to arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, and torture in Venezuela on August 3, 2024, while en route to Geneva (Switzerland) to participate in the 113th session of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD). Venezuelan authorities revoked his passport that same day. After fleeing to Colombia and applying for asylum in October 2024, on October 13, 2025, he was the victim of an assassination attempt. At the time of the attack, Yendri was still awaiting recognition of his refugee status, despite the fact that more than a year had passed since his application and the clear need for international protection he faced.

On December 10, 2025, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, the Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression, and the Independent Expert on sexual orientation and gender identity sent formal communications to the governments of Colombia and Venezuela requesting information on the case and the adoption of urgent measures for the protection of Yendri Velásquez. As of the date of publication of this statement, no progress has been reported in the criminal investigation in Colombia.

The circumstances of the attack point to a possible case of transnational repression. An effective response from the justice system is needed to identify those suspected of being responsible for the attack. Impunity for such attacks has a frightening effect on Venezuelan human rights defenders abroad and on civil society as a whole.

Based on this information, the signing organizations issue the following calls to action:

To the Colombian government: 

1. Proceed urgently, thoroughly, and impartially with the investigation into the attack of October 13, 2025, including the possibility of involvement by Venezuelan state actors, and ensure that those responsible are held accountable.
2. Maintain and strengthen protective measures for Yendri Velásquez and Luis Peche, and extend such measures to other Venezuelan human rights defenders at risk.
3. Comply with Constitutional Court ruling SU-543/23, which orders the implementation of a public policy to streamline the processing of asylum applications.
4. Implement specific protection protocols for human rights defenders seeking asylum who face risks of transnational repression.
5. Strengthen institutional capacities to prevent possible acts of transnational repression. 

To Venezuelan authorities: 

1. Cooperate with Colombian authorities in the investigation of the attack, including an inquiry into the possible involvement of Venezuelan officials or other associated actors.
2. Formally respond to the communications sent on December 10, 2025, by the UN Special Procedures. 

Transnational repression must be recognized as a threat to human rights defenders, and measures must be adopted to effectively ensure their protection in host countries.

The signing organizations will continue to monitor the situation and demand justice for activists Yendri Velásquez and Luis Peche. Impunity for these attacks constitutes a signal of tolerance, which endangers the lives of all Venezuelan defenders abroad.

Signing organizations: 

Amnesty International

CIVICUS

Comisión Colombiana de Juristas

Due Process of Law Foundation (DPFL)

Freedom House

International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), as part of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders

International Service for Human Rights (ISHR)

Robert and Ethel Kennedy Human Rights Center

The World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), as part of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders

Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA)