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Surgery on Colombian senator Uribe went well after shooting, wife says

Surgery on Colombian senator Uribe went well after shooting, wife says

Daily Maverick7 hours ago

Senator Uribe shot at campaign event in Bogota
Boy under 15 arrested with pistol, says attorney general's office
Government offers $730,000 reward for information
US condemns attack, blames Colombian president's rhetoric for violence
President Petro urges investigation into who ordered attack
By Julia Symmes Cobb and Lucinda Elliott
Uribe, 39, is a member of the opposition right-wing Democratic Center party and was shot in the head during a campaign event in a public park in the Fontibon neighborhood.
A boy under 15 years of age was arrested after the shooting, the attorney general's office said in a statement on Saturday, adding he was carrying a 9-millimeter Glock-type pistol.
The government said it is investigating if there were other potential perpetrators. Leftist President Gustavo Petro urged an investigation into who had ordered the attack in remarks late on Saturday.
Campaigning is just beginning for the country's 2026 presidential election and Uribe, who is from a prominent political family, does not have a well-known platform so far.
It was unclear why he was targeted in the attack. Though he has talked about the need to improve security and about having personally suffered in the country's conflict, many other potential candidates, including others from his party, have also said steps must be taken to tackle crime.
Uribe's grandfather was president from 1978 to 1982, while his mother, journalist Diana Turbay, was kidnapped in 1990 by an armed group under the command of the late cartel leader Pablo Escobar. She was killed during a rescue operation in 1991.
'Miguel came out of surgery, he made it. Every hour is a critical hour. He fought his first battle, and it went well,' his wife Maria Claudia Tarazona told local media on Sunday. 'This will take time.'
The couple are parents to a young son.
In a statement, the Santa Fe Foundation hospital where Uribe was treated said he had procedures on his head and his left thigh, and remained in intensive care as doctors seek to stabilize his condition.
Uribe's party said in a statement that armed subjects shot him from behind. Videos on social media showed a man, identified as Uribe, being tended to after the shooting. He appeared to be bleeding from his head.
Bogota's mayor, Carlos Galan, whose own presidential candidate father was assassinated in 1989, addressed journalists outside the hospital overnight, saying he had asked for increased protection for all candidates in Bogota and for Uribe's family.
UNDER INVESTIGATION
The Colombian government is offering some $730,000 as a reward for information in the case.
'For now there is nothing more than hypothesis,' Petro said, adding that failures in security protocols would also be looked into. Uribe had the bodyguard protection provided for senators and other officials.
Petro sympathized with Uribe's family in a message on X, saying: 'I don't know how to ease your pain. It is the pain of a mother lost, and of a homeland.'
People gathered outside the hospital in northern Bogota, staging candlelight vigils and praying, while others carried Colombian flags. A march of support was planned for Sunday.
Several nations on Sunday including Brazil, Italy, Spain, Uruguay and Paraguay condemned the attack, as did the Venezuelan government and opposition.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement that the U.S. 'condemns in the strongest possible terms the attempted assassination' of Uribe, blaming Petro's 'inflammatory rhetoric' for the violence.
Petro was an outspoken critic of U.S. President Donald Trump's deportation policies earlier this year, but has been less vocal since Trump threatened to impose tariffs and sanctions on the Andean country.
Colombia has for decades been embroiled in a conflict between leftist rebels, criminal groups descended from right-wing paramilitaries, and the government.

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Surgery on Colombian senator Uribe went well after shooting, wife says
Surgery on Colombian senator Uribe went well after shooting, wife says

Daily Maverick

time7 hours ago

  • Daily Maverick

Surgery on Colombian senator Uribe went well after shooting, wife says

Senator Uribe shot at campaign event in Bogota Boy under 15 arrested with pistol, says attorney general's office Government offers $730,000 reward for information US condemns attack, blames Colombian president's rhetoric for violence President Petro urges investigation into who ordered attack By Julia Symmes Cobb and Lucinda Elliott Uribe, 39, is a member of the opposition right-wing Democratic Center party and was shot in the head during a campaign event in a public park in the Fontibon neighborhood. A boy under 15 years of age was arrested after the shooting, the attorney general's office said in a statement on Saturday, adding he was carrying a 9-millimeter Glock-type pistol. The government said it is investigating if there were other potential perpetrators. Leftist President Gustavo Petro urged an investigation into who had ordered the attack in remarks late on Saturday. Campaigning is just beginning for the country's 2026 presidential election and Uribe, who is from a prominent political family, does not have a well-known platform so far. It was unclear why he was targeted in the attack. Though he has talked about the need to improve security and about having personally suffered in the country's conflict, many other potential candidates, including others from his party, have also said steps must be taken to tackle crime. Uribe's grandfather was president from 1978 to 1982, while his mother, journalist Diana Turbay, was kidnapped in 1990 by an armed group under the command of the late cartel leader Pablo Escobar. She was killed during a rescue operation in 1991. 'Miguel came out of surgery, he made it. Every hour is a critical hour. He fought his first battle, and it went well,' his wife Maria Claudia Tarazona told local media on Sunday. 'This will take time.' The couple are parents to a young son. In a statement, the Santa Fe Foundation hospital where Uribe was treated said he had procedures on his head and his left thigh, and remained in intensive care as doctors seek to stabilize his condition. Uribe's party said in a statement that armed subjects shot him from behind. Videos on social media showed a man, identified as Uribe, being tended to after the shooting. He appeared to be bleeding from his head. Bogota's mayor, Carlos Galan, whose own presidential candidate father was assassinated in 1989, addressed journalists outside the hospital overnight, saying he had asked for increased protection for all candidates in Bogota and for Uribe's family. UNDER INVESTIGATION The Colombian government is offering some $730,000 as a reward for information in the case. 'For now there is nothing more than hypothesis,' Petro said, adding that failures in security protocols would also be looked into. Uribe had the bodyguard protection provided for senators and other officials. Petro sympathized with Uribe's family in a message on X, saying: 'I don't know how to ease your pain. It is the pain of a mother lost, and of a homeland.' People gathered outside the hospital in northern Bogota, staging candlelight vigils and praying, while others carried Colombian flags. A march of support was planned for Sunday. Several nations on Sunday including Brazil, Italy, Spain, Uruguay and Paraguay condemned the attack, as did the Venezuelan government and opposition. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement that the U.S. 'condemns in the strongest possible terms the attempted assassination' of Uribe, blaming Petro's 'inflammatory rhetoric' for the violence. Petro was an outspoken critic of U.S. President Donald Trump's deportation policies earlier this year, but has been less vocal since Trump threatened to impose tariffs and sanctions on the Andean country. Colombia has for decades been embroiled in a conflict between leftist rebels, criminal groups descended from right-wing paramilitaries, and the government.

Colombian presidential contender has successful surgery after shooting
Colombian presidential contender has successful surgery after shooting

Eyewitness News

time12 hours ago

  • Eyewitness News

Colombian presidential contender has successful surgery after shooting

Thirty-nine-year-old Senator Miguel Uribe was speaking to supporters in the capital when a gunman shot him twice in the head and once in the knee before being detained. A security guard managed to detain the suspected attacker, a minor who is believed to be 15 years old. Uribe was airlifted to hospital in "critical condition" and underwent a "neurosurgical" and "peripheral vascular procedure," the Santa Fe Clinic in Bogota confirmed. He "overcame the first surgical procedure," Mayor Carlos Fernando Galan told media, adding that he had entered "the critical hours" of recovery. Uribe's wife, in an audio recording shared with media, said "he came out well from the surgery." "He fought the first battle and fought it well. He is fighting for his life," she is heard saying. Images from the scene of the shooting showed Uribe slumped against the hood of a white car, smeared with blood, as a group of men tried to hold him and stop the bleeding. The suspect was injured in the affray and was receiving treatment, said police director Carlos Fernando Triana. Two others -- a man and a woman -- were also wounded, and a Glock-style firearm was seized. "Our hearts are broken, Colombia hurts," Carolina Gomez, a 41-year-old businesswoman, told AFP as she lit candles and prayed for Uribe's health. 'Day of pain' A large investigative team is working on determining the motive for the attack, Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez said Sunday. Earlier he had offered a roughly US$725,000 reward for information about who was behind the shooting. Leftist President Gustavo Petro condemned the violence as "an attack not only against his person, but also against democracy, freedom of thought, and the legitimate exercise of politics in Colombia." The shooting was similarly condemned across the political spectrum and from overseas, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio calling it "a direct threat to democracy." But Rubio also pointed blame at Petro, claiming the attack was the "result of the violent leftist rhetoric coming from the highest levels of the Colombian government." "President Petro needs to dial back the inflammatory rhetoric and protect Colombian officials," the top US diplomat said. Venezuela, which has a longstanding border conflict with Colombia, also denounced the shooting, with the foreign ministry saying: "Venezuela strongly condemns the attack" on the senator. Uribe, a strong critic of Petro, is a member of the Democratic Center party, which announced last October his intention to run in the 2026 presidential election. Authorities said there was no specific threat made against the politician before the incident. The country is home to several armed guerrilla groups and powerful cartels, and has a long history of political violence. Shot 'from behind' Uribe is the son of Diana Turbay, a famed Colombian journalist who was killed after being kidnapped by Pablo Escobar's Medellin Cartel. One of his grandfathers was president Julio Cesar Turbay, who led the country from 1978 to 1982. Supporters gathered outside the Bogota hospital, lighting candles and clutching crucifixes as they prayed for Uribe's recovery. The leader of Uribe's party, former president Alvaro Uribe -- who is not related to Miguel -- described the shooting as an attack against "a hope for the country." Miguel Uribe has been a senator since 2022. He previously served as Bogota's government secretary and city councilor. He also ran for city mayor in 2019, but lost that election.

Colombian presidential contender has successful surgery after shooting
Colombian presidential contender has successful surgery after shooting

eNCA

time13 hours ago

  • eNCA

Colombian presidential contender has successful surgery after shooting

BOGOTA - A prominent Colombian right-wing presidential candidate who was shot during a campaign event in Bogota has successfully undergone initial surgery, the city's mayor said Sunday. 39-year-old Senator Miguel Uribe was speaking to supporters in the capital when a gunman shot him twice in the head and once in the knee before being detained. A security guard managed to detain the suspected attacker, a minor who is believed to be 15 years old. Uribe was airlifted to hospital in "critical condition" and underwent a "neurosurgical" and "peripheral vascular procedure," the Santa Fe Clinic in Bogota confirmed. He "overcame the first surgical procedure," Mayor Carlos Fernando Galan told media, adding that he had entered "the critical hours" of recovery. Uribe's wife, in an audio recording shared with media, said "he came out well from the surgery." "He fought the first battle and fought it well. He is fighting for his life," she is heard saying. Images from the scene of the shooting showed Uribe slumped against the hood of a white car, smeared with blood, as a group of men tried to hold him and stop the bleeding. AFP | Raul ARBOLEDA The suspect was injured in the affray and was receiving treatment, said police director Carlos Fernando Triana. Two others -- a man and a woman -- were also wounded, and a Glock-style firearm was seized. "Our hearts are broken, Colombia hurts," Carolina Gomez, a 41-year-old businesswoman, told AFP as she lit candles and prayed for Uribe's health. - 'Day of pain' - A large investigative team is working on determining the motive for the attack, Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez said Sunday. Earlier he had offered a roughly US$725,000 reward for information about who was behind the shooting. Leftist President Gustavo Petro condemned the violence as "an attack not only against his person, but also against democracy, freedom of thought, and the legitimate exercise of politics in Colombia." The shooting was similarly condemned across the political spectrum and from overseas, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio calling it "a direct threat to democracy." But Rubio also pointed blame at Petro, claiming the attack was the "result of the violent leftist rhetoric coming from the highest levels of the Colombian government." "President Petro needs to dial back the inflammatory rhetoric and protect Colombian officials," the top US diplomat said. Venezuela, which has a longstanding border conflict with Colombia, also denounced the shooting, with the foreign ministry saying: "Venezuela strongly condemns the attack" on the senator. Uribe, a strong critic of Petro, is a member of the Democratic Center party, which announced last October his intention to run in the 2026 presidential election. Authorities said there was no specific threat made against the politician before the incident. The country is home to several armed guerrilla groups and powerful cartels, and has a long history of political violence. - Shot 'from behind' - Uribe is the son of Diana Turbay, a famed Colombian journalist who was killed after being kidnapped by Pablo Escobar's Medellin Cartel. One of his grandfathers was president Julio Cesar Turbay, who led the country from 1978 to 1982. Supporters gathered outside the Bogota hospital, lighting candles and clutching crucifixes as they prayed for Uribe's recovery. The leader of Uribe's party, former president Alvaro Uribe -- who is not related to Miguel -- described the shooting as an attack against "a hope for the country." Miguel Uribe has been a senator since 2022. He previously served as Bogota's government secretary and city councilor. He also ran for city mayor in 2019, but lost that election.

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