José Gabriel Bohórquez Mogollón, father of José Luis Bohórquez, former mayor of Duitama (Boyacá) and current candidate for the House of Representatives for the Historical Pact, was physically and verbally attacked in a commercial establishment in the municipality of the department of Boyacá.
As reported by the current legislative candidate, in a video published on his social networks, the events occurred on the night of Sunday, February 22, when he was chatting with some close friends at a pool hall in the region.
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From one moment to the next, the atmosphere became tense as he was the subject of critical comments towards the political community of President Gustavo Petro and towards himself. The verbal exchange intensified when a former local council candidate—identified as considerably younger than Bohórquez Mogollón—directed insults toward the candidate.
At that moment, the father intervened to demand respect, which provoked a physical reaction from the attackers, who first hit him, throwing him to the ground and then continued with kicks, until the rest of those present interceded to stop the aggression.
“My father is in a business establishment, enjoying his free time. While he was playing, a person, late at night, decided to tell him a lot of nonsense about me, insult me, knowing that it was my father to provoke him. My father decides to ask him to recant, to please not respect my name, and the man proceeds to knock him to the floor, kick him on the floor, and attack him.”explained José Luis Bohórquez.
The result was devastating: Six teeth were affected, in addition to a fractured rib, soft tissue injuries and multiple lacerations to the face. Bohórquez Mogollón had to undergo immediate medical and dental care and currently remains at home recovering, without the ailments having completely subsided.
The family identified the aggressor and has initiated the corresponding legal procedures. According to José Luis Bohórquez, they have medical records and are “collecting all the evidence and witnesses of the incident” so that the person responsible “answers for what he did.”
The Historic Pact candidate stressed that he will not publicly reveal the name of the attacker, arguing respect for the attacker’s family.
“I am not going to post his photo nor expose him, out of respect for his children and his wife, because I am not going to mess with his family. We are now going to file the complaint“All the evidentiary material has already been collected, the medical issue, there are witnesses, and no, this is not going to stay like this,” he added.
He also took the opportunity to draw attention to the growing violence during the campaign.
“The atmosphere is very polarized in the middle of the campaign, but the candidates themselves must explain to their supporters that the attacks are not going to change anything in the result, that the support of the voters is achieved in the debate and with ideas“, with proposals, and not with attacks and violence, as in this case, and even less so when the person attacked is a relative of the candidate,” he stressed in statements to El Tiempo.
Finally, he called on his opponents so that political disputes do not spill over into a personal discussion. “And I ask the political class of Boyacá. I know they don’t like me, I know they want to harm and destroy me, but don’t mess with my family.that I have not messed with theirs. Respect democracy (…) There is not a single person who can raise their hand to say that I have physically attacked someone, since the debate must be done with ideas and proposals”, he concluded.
The Bohórquez family reiterated that they will take the process to the ultimate legal consequences. Currently, José Luis Bohórquez heads the closed list of the Historical Pact to the House of Representatives for Boyacá, after the Council of State annulled his election as mayor of Duitama in February 2025.
