Overview
- Police identified the victims as human rights and LGBTQ+ defender Yendri Velásquez and political analyst Luis Peche, who are hospitalized in stable condition, with Velásquez undergoing surgery.
- The shooting occurred around midday in north Bogotá as the pair left a building near the Ombudsman's office, in what officials described as a hitman-style assault targeting their lower limbs.
- Investigators found a vehicle in Suba containing two handguns and are searching for three people believed to have fled and abandoned the car.
- President Gustavo Petro and the Ombudsman's office condemned the attack, with the government pledging stronger protections for human rights defenders and Venezuelan asylum seekers.
- The Attorney General’s Office and national police opened a prioritized case, and the defense minister said an elite intelligence team will examine whether the attack was ordered from Venezuela, as Amnesty International and UN officials urged a prompt, impartial probe.