The National University of Colombia, at its Bogotá campus, was the scene of a violent assault during the night of July 29, 2026. The events, which have generated widespread rejection from academic authorities and public opinion, left three students injured, who were attacked with sharp weapons and blunt objects inside the campus.
On Thursday, July 30, after the incident became known, the institution’s rectorate issued a statement expressing its official position regarding the assault. The document states that “the acts of violence against members of the university community that occurred last night, resulting in personal injuries, are rejected.”
The university emphasized that “no difference justifies the use of violence, and such acts are incompatible with the principles of respect, coexistence, and integrity that guide the work of our Alma Mater.”
How did the assault on the students begin? This is what is known
In recent hours, it became known that the origin of the confrontation dates back to prior tensions between student groups and union organizations within the campus.
Diego Torres, professor and spokesperson for the university community, explained in an interview with the media Citytv, of Casa Editorial EL TIEMPO, that the atmosphere became hostile days before the main attack.
According to the professor, the conflict escalated from a symbolic dispute. Torres recounted that “on the 21st there were precisely actions by one of the students. A group of students gathered to remove and protest against a banner of one of the unions”.
At that moment, he pointed out that “people allegedly associated with that union arrived along with other hooded individuals.” This initial friction laid the groundwork for what happened the following Wednesday, when a group of students began a protest march against, according to one of the victims, Sintraunal, the Mixed Union of Workers of the National University.
The seriousness of what happened on July 29 has been described by Torres as a negative milestone in the recent history of the institution. In his statements to the news program Arriba Bogotá, the spokesperson emphasized the magnitude of the physical assault.
The professor stated that “we had a situation of violence that had never been seen in the history of the university, at least in recent decades” and added that what happened “could easily be classified as an attempted murder within the university facilities.”
According to the context of the events, the attack was triggered when the students were holding a peaceful demonstration that was intercepted by individuals with covered faces.
“The students initially tried to defend themselves,” Torres noted, pointing out that “student Kevin Arrigui goes out to the Faculty of Agrarian Sciences and inside the video clearly shows more than 10 people. Not only do they violently attack him, they stab him. The National University has been supporting the student throughout this process. The Prosecutor’s Office has already taken note.”
For his part, Arrigui, student representative of the Faculty of Agrarian Sciences and one of the victims, gave a detailed account of the ambush to the Investigative Unit of EL TIEMPO and Citytv.
The 26-year-old, originally from the department of Huila, explained that the violence began when he tried to document the presence of the attackers.
Arrigui described the start of physical contact as follows: “In my case, it was at the Faculty of Agrarian Sciences, where at first they came and hit me with chairs while I was recording it.”
The student was near his faculty around eleven thirty at night when he was surrounded by approximately ten people.
The student recounted how he was stripped of his communication equipment before being injured with sharp weapons. In his testimony to Citytv, Arrigui detailed that “I had the cell phone with which I was recording the faces and suddenly they snatched the phone from me, took it away, hit me with a bottle, others had a knife and you could see when they gave me direct stabs.”
As a result of the attack, the young man suffered deep wounds that required immediate medical intervention. Arrigui specified that the injuries were located on his limbs and that “he received stitches: one on the left leg and another on the left arm.”
After being initially treated at a healthcare center, the representative underwent evaluations by forensic specialists. The young man shared with the cited channel the findings of his medical examination, noting that “the forensic doctor performed some tests due to the blows,” including tests on his lungs for the possibility that air had accumulated in that area.
“Andhe performed two CT scans and fortunately the lung issue came out fine,” the student pointed out, indicating that despite this, physical aftereffects persist during his recovery.
Kevin Arrigui’s post-traumatic process includes symptoms that hinder his normal performance. Despite being discharged, the student representative reported experiencing recurrent physical discomforts such as “dizziness” and “chills.”
Likewise, the young man indicated that, according to medical staff, this condition is partly due to the medication received for pain and wound management. On the other hand, the severity of the injuries in the other victims is even greater. The most recent report indicates that another assaulted student was granted a 40-day medical leave.
Given the risk situation, the National University has implemented measures to safeguard the integrity of those involved. The official statement from the rectorate informed that “from the moment the events became known, institutional protocols for care, victim support, and information protection were activated.”
Diego Torres mentioned that, since Arrigui is a student brought from the regions by the university, arrangements are being made for his safe transfer to his place of origin during the current academic recess. This measure aims to protect the young man while judicial investigations led by the Attorney General’s Office progress.
The criminal investigation relies on graphic evidence collected on campus, which shows the brutality of the attack that lasted approximately two minutes.
Torres called for citizen cooperation so that the case does not remain in impunity. The spokesperson assured on Citytv that “it is absolutely clear who participated and coordinated the attack. The videos are clear and I call on the academic community: If you know who participated, report it immediately to both the University and the Police.”
For his part, Arrigui confirmed that he has already initiated the relevant legal actions with the Prosecutor’s Office, expressing his desire for justice to act swiftly so that this episode does not join the list of unresolved assaults against social leaders in the country.
LAURA NATHALIA QUINTERO.
LAST NEWS EDITORIAL.
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