Colombia presidential hopeful Miguel Uribe shot at rally in Bogotá
Colombian
senator Miguel Uribe, a potential presidential contender, was shot in Bogotá on Saturday, and his wife said he was fighting for his life in hospital.
The senator (39), who was shot during a campaign event as part of his run for the presidency in 2026, is a member of the opposition conservative Democratic Center party founded by former Colombian president Alvaro Uribe. The two men are not related.
According to a party statement condemning the attack, the senator was hosting a campaign event in a public park in the Fontibon neighbourhood in the capital on Saturday when 'armed subjects shot him from behind'.
The party described the attack as serious, but did not disclose further details on Mr Uribe's condition. Videos on social media showed a man, identified as Mr Uribe, being tended to after the shooting. He appeared to be bleeding from his head.
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His wife Maria Claudia Tarazona wrote on her husband's account on X that he was 'fighting for his life'.
Colombia's defence minister Pedro Sánchez said a suspect had been arrested in the shooting and that authorities were investigating whether others were involved. Mr Sanchez said he had visited the hospital where Uribe was being treated.
The government is offering some $730,000 as a reward for information in the case.
Colombia's presidency issued a statement saying the government 'categorically and forcefully' rejected the violent attack, and called for a thorough investigation into the events that took place.
Leftist president Gustavo Petro sympathised with the senator'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.'
Mr Petro later said in a speech on Saturday night that the person arrested was a minor and that the investigation would focus on finding who had ordered the attack.
'For now there is nothing more than hypothesis,' Mr Petro said, adding that failures in security protocols would also be looked into.
US secretary of state Marco Rubio said in a statement that the US 'condemns in the strongest possible terms the attempted assassination' of Mr Uribe, blaming Mr Petro's 'inflammatory rhetoric' for the violence.
Mr Uribe, who is not yet an official presidential candidate for his party, is from a prominent family in Colombia. His father was a businessman and union leader. 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.
Colombia has for decades been embroiled in a conflict between leftist rebels, criminal groups descended from right-wing paramilitaries, and the government. – Reuters
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The Journal
10 hours ago
- The Journal
Colombian presidential contender has successful surgery after assassination attempt
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. 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 news organisation AFP as she lit candles and prayed for Uribe's health. People hold flags of Colombia as they march to the clinic where Colombian Senator Miguel Uribe Turbay is being treated after an assassination attempt. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo '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 (around €635,000) for information about who was behind the shooting. Advertisement 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. Opposition Senator Miguel Uribe, right. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo 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.
Irish Times
19 hours ago
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Colombia presidential hopeful Miguel Uribe shot at rally in Bogotá
Colombian senator Miguel Uribe, a potential presidential contender, was shot in Bogotá on Saturday, and his wife said he was fighting for his life in hospital. The senator (39), who was shot during a campaign event as part of his run for the presidency in 2026, is a member of the opposition conservative Democratic Center party founded by former Colombian president Alvaro Uribe. The two men are not related. According to a party statement condemning the attack, the senator was hosting a campaign event in a public park in the Fontibon neighbourhood in the capital on Saturday when 'armed subjects shot him from behind'. The party described the attack as serious, but did not disclose further details on Mr Uribe's condition. Videos on social media showed a man, identified as Mr Uribe, being tended to after the shooting. He appeared to be bleeding from his head. READ MORE His wife Maria Claudia Tarazona wrote on her husband's account on X that he was 'fighting for his life'. Colombia's defence minister Pedro Sánchez said a suspect had been arrested in the shooting and that authorities were investigating whether others were involved. Mr Sanchez said he had visited the hospital where Uribe was being treated. The government is offering some $730,000 as a reward for information in the case. Colombia's presidency issued a statement saying the government 'categorically and forcefully' rejected the violent attack, and called for a thorough investigation into the events that took place. Leftist president Gustavo Petro sympathised with the senator'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.' Mr Petro later said in a speech on Saturday night that the person arrested was a minor and that the investigation would focus on finding who had ordered the attack. 'For now there is nothing more than hypothesis,' Mr Petro said, adding that failures in security protocols would also be looked into. US secretary of state Marco Rubio said in a statement that the US 'condemns in the strongest possible terms the attempted assassination' of Mr Uribe, blaming Mr Petro's 'inflammatory rhetoric' for the violence. Mr Uribe, who is not yet an official presidential candidate for his party, is from a prominent family in Colombia. His father was a businessman and union leader. 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. Colombia has for decades been embroiled in a conflict between leftist rebels, criminal groups descended from right-wing paramilitaries, and the government. – Reuters
RTÉ News
20 hours ago
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Colombian presidential candidate shot and wounded
A prominent Colombian right-wing presidential candidate was shot and gravely wounded during a campaign event in Bogota yesterday, authorities said. Senator Miguel Uribe, 39, was speaking to supporters in the west of the capital when a gunman shot him twice in the head and once in the knee before being detained. Images from the scene showed Mr Uribe slumped against the hood of a white car as a group of men tried to hold him and stop the bleeding. A security guard managed to detain the suspected attacker, a minor who is believed to be 15 years old. Police director Carlos Fernando Triana said the suspect was injured in the affray and was receiving treatment. Two others - a man and a woman - were also wounded, and a Glock-style firearm was seized. The motive for the attack is not yet publicly known, and Colombia's minister of defense vowed that the military, police and intelligence services would deploy "all their capabilities" to find out what happened. The minister, Pedro Sanchez, also announced a roughly US$725,000 reward for information about who was behind the shooting. The attack was condemned across the political spectrum and from overseas, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio calling it "a direct threat to democracy". Mr Rubio pointed blame at Colombia's leftist president Gustavo 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. Mr Petro "categorically and forcefully" condemned the attack. "This act of violence is an attack not only against his person, but also against democracy, freedom of thought, and the legitimate exercise of politics in Colombia," the presidency said in the statement. Mr Petro was due to address the nation late yesterday evening. Mr Uribe, a strong critic of Mr Petro, is a member of the Democratic Center party, who announced last October his intention to run in the 2026 presidential election. Authorities said that there was no specific threat made against the politician before the incident. Like many public figures in Colombia, Mr Uribe had close personal protection. The country is home to several armed guerrilla groups, powerful cartels and has a long history of political violence. Mr 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 former Colombia president Julio Cesar Turbay, who led the country from 1978 to 1982. Shot 'from behind' Mr Uribe was airlifted to Santa Fe Clinic where he was said to be receiving intensive care. Supports gathered outside the facility, lighting candles and clutching crucifixes as they prayed for his recovery. Mr Uribe's party said in a statement yesterday that an "armed individual" had shot the senator from behind. The party leader, Colombia's influential former president Alvaro Uribe, described the shooting as an attack against "a hope for the country". Miguel Uribe himself has been a senator since 2022. He previously served as Bogota's government secretary and city councilor.
