The recent targeted shooting of two Venezuelan activists in Bogotá, Colombia, has ignited widespread concern among Venezuela’s diaspora, raising alarms that President Nicolás Maduro’s crackdown on dissent is extending beyond Venezuela’s borders. On Monday afternoon, human rights activist Yendri Velásquez and political consultant Luis Peche Arteaga were ambushed by unidentified assailants in a car as they exited a building in northern Bogotá. The attackers fired approximately 15 shots, with Peche Arteaga sustaining six gunshot wounds. Both victims underwent surgery and are now in stable condition, according to Laura Dib, Velásquez’s colleague and Venezuela Program Director for the Washington Office on Latin America.
The incident has sent shockwaves through Venezuela’s human rights community, with Dib describing it as a stark reminder of the dangers of transnational repression. While Colombian authorities are investigating the attack, civil society leaders suspect the shooting was politically motivated, given the victims’ profiles as prominent critics of the Maduro regime. Velásquez and Peche Arteaga were among the thousands who fled Venezuela last year following widespread accusations of election fraud and the government’s detention of over 2,000 activists and opposition figures.
Velásquez, who had previously been arbitrarily detained by Venezuelan authorities and had his passport canceled, sought refuge in Colombia, joining nearly 8 million Venezuelans who have fled the country’s economic and political crisis. However, the attack has heightened fears among exiles that they are no longer safe even abroad. Arles Pereda, president of the Colony of Venezuelans in Colombia, warned that such violence was anticipated due to the government’s history of targeting civil society groups. He emphasized the need for enhanced security measures, including hiring bodyguards and identifying third countries for emergency relocation.
The shooting coincides with escalating tensions in the region. Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, who recently received the Nobel Peace Prize, condemned the attack as a grave aggression and called for protection for Venezuelan exiles. Meanwhile, Maduro’s government has drawn criticism for its abrupt closure of the Venezuelan embassy in Oslo and its ongoing disputes with the U.S. over drug trafficking allegations. The Trump administration’s recent reduction of international aid and protections for Venezuelans has further complicated efforts to support exiles.
As Andean nations grapple with the largest migratory crisis in Latin American history, hostility toward Venezuelan migrants has grown, exacerbating their vulnerability. Despite seeking assistance from Colombia’s Ombudsman’s Office, Velásquez had not been granted international protection at the time of the attack. Dib lamented the missed opportunities to safeguard activists, calling the incident a wake-up call for the international community to address the escalating threats faced by Venezuelan dissidents.