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Colombian presidential candidate's condition critical after assassination attempt
A 15-year-old suspected hitman shot right-wing Senator Miguel Uribe, 39, at close range while campaigning in Bogota on Saturday read more
Doctors treating a Colombian presidential candidate wounded twice in the head by a would-be assassin cautioned Monday that he was not responding well to treatment and that his situation was critical.
A 15-year-old suspected hitman shot right-wing Senator Miguel Uribe, 39, at close range while campaigning in Bogota on Saturday.
The daring attack has surprised Colombians, many of whom thought decades of brutal politics and narco-violence were behind them.
As police investigated for a motive and suspects, Uribe was fighting for his life in a Bogota hospital.
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Medics at the Santa Fe Clinic announced Monday that he was still in 'the most grave condition' and was 'scarcely responding to the interventions and medical treatments.'
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Strong earthquake hits Bogota, measuring 6.3 magnitude
Meanwhile, state prosecutor Luz Adriana Camargo said the alleged teen gunman arrested at the scene was believed to be part of a network of 'sicarios' – or hitmen – working for hire.
The Glock pistol he is alleged to have used was purchased legally in the US state of Arizona in 2020, according to police chief Carlos Triana.
Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez said authorities were working on several hypotheses to explain the attack.
Sanchez said that it could have been a message to Uribe's conservative party ahead of the 2026 elections, or an effort to destabilize the country's first-ever leftist government.
The shocking attack has already sparked a febrile political response in some quarters.
Opponents of President Gustavo Petro have accused the pugilistic left-wing leader of creating fertile ground for political violence.
Petro has joined politicians from across the political spectrum in denouncing the attempted assassination.
Powerful ex-president Alvaro Uribe – whose term brought a bloody head-on war against left-wing guerrillas – claimed that he had been warned by overseas intelligence of a second assassination plot, this time targeting him.
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Hindustan Times
4 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Miguel Uribe's security was cut on day of assassination bid, says Colombia president gustavo petro
The number of security staff for Colombian presidential hopeful Miguel Uribe, seriously wounded in an assassination attempt on the weekend, was drastically cut on the day of the attack, President Gustavo Petro said Monday. "I must now report that the protection scheme for Senator Uribe was reduced, strangely, on the day of the attack, from 7 to 3 people," Petro said on X, adding he had requested the decision -- which is the responsibility of a state body -- to be investigated in full. Uribe, 39, was shot twice in the head at close range by a 15-year-old alleged hitman while campaigning in Bogota on Saturday, and is fighting for his life in hospital. The politician's lawyer Victor Mosquera said Monday he had filed a criminal complaint against the UNP protection unit in charge of security for high-profile and at-risk personalities. The lawyer said he had made more than 20 requests this year alone to have his client's security bolstered, and said the investigation by the prosecutor's office should determine "if the state, through omission, left Uribe defenseless." Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez has said authorities were investigating several possible motives for the attack. It may have been a message, he said, to Uribe's conservative party ahead of presidential elections in 2026, or an effort to destabilize the country's first-ever leftist government under Petro. The president said Monday that investigators were still 'operating in the realm of hypotheses.'
First Post
8 hours ago
- First Post
Colombian presidential candidate's condition critical after assassination attempt
A 15-year-old suspected hitman shot right-wing Senator Miguel Uribe, 39, at close range while campaigning in Bogota on Saturday read more Doctors treating a Colombian presidential candidate wounded twice in the head by a would-be assassin cautioned Monday that he was not responding well to treatment and that his situation was critical. A 15-year-old suspected hitman shot right-wing Senator Miguel Uribe, 39, at close range while campaigning in Bogota on Saturday. The daring attack has surprised Colombians, many of whom thought decades of brutal politics and narco-violence were behind them. As police investigated for a motive and suspects, Uribe was fighting for his life in a Bogota hospital. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Medics at the Santa Fe Clinic announced Monday that he was still in 'the most grave condition' and was 'scarcely responding to the interventions and medical treatments.' More from World Strong earthquake hits Bogota, measuring 6.3 magnitude Meanwhile, state prosecutor Luz Adriana Camargo said the alleged teen gunman arrested at the scene was believed to be part of a network of 'sicarios' – or hitmen – working for hire. The Glock pistol he is alleged to have used was purchased legally in the US state of Arizona in 2020, according to police chief Carlos Triana. Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez said authorities were working on several hypotheses to explain the attack. Sanchez said that it could have been a message to Uribe's conservative party ahead of the 2026 elections, or an effort to destabilize the country's first-ever leftist government. The shocking attack has already sparked a febrile political response in some quarters. Opponents of President Gustavo Petro have accused the pugilistic left-wing leader of creating fertile ground for political violence. Petro has joined politicians from across the political spectrum in denouncing the attempted assassination. Powerful ex-president Alvaro Uribe – whose term brought a bloody head-on war against left-wing guerrillas – claimed that he had been warned by overseas intelligence of a second assassination plot, this time targeting him. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Hindustan Times
8 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Colombian presidential candidate Miguel Uribe shot in the head at rally, critical
Miguel Uribe, a conservative Colombian presidential hopeful, was in critical condition on Monday after being shot in the head at close range during a rally over the weekend. In a statement, doctors said the 39-year-old senator had 'barely' responded to medical interventions that included brain surgery following the assassination attempt, which has had a chilling effect on the South American nation. Uribe was shot on Saturday as he addressed a small crowd of people who had gathered in a park in Bogota's Modelia neighbourhood. On Sunday, hundreds of people gathered outside the hospital where Uribe is being treated to pray for his recovery. Some carried rosaries in their hands, while others chanted slogans against President Gustavo Petro. 'This is terrible,' said Walter Jimenez, a lawyer who showed up outside the hospital with a sign calling for Petro's removal. 'It feels like we are going back to the 1990s,' he said, referring to a decade during which drug cartels and rebel groups murdered judges, presidential candidates and journalists with impunity. Petro has condemned the attack and urged his opponents not to use it for political ends. But some Colombians have also asked the president to tone down his rhetoric against opposition leaders. The assassination attempt stunned the nation, with many politicians describing it as the latest sign of how security has deteriorated in Colombia, where the government is struggling to control violence in rural and urban areas, despite a 2016 peace deal with the nation's largest rebel group. The attack on Uribe comes amid growing animosity between Petro and the Senate over blocked reforms to the nation's labour laws. Petro has organised protests in favour of the reforms, where he has delivered fiery speeches referring to opposition leaders as 'oligarchs' and 'enemies of the people." 'There is no way to argue that the president … who describes his opponents as enemies of the people, paramilitaries and assassins has no responsibility in this,' Andres Mejia, a prominent political analyst, wrote on X. The Attorney General's office said a 15-year-old boy was arrested at the scene of the attack against Uribe. Videos captured on social media show a suspect shooting at Uribe from close range. The suspect was injured in the leg and was recovering at another clinic, authorities said. Defence Minister Pedro Sánchez added that over 100 officers are investigating the attack. On Monday, Colombia's Attorney General Luz Adriana Camargo said that minors in Colombia face sentences of up to eight years in detention for committing murders. Camargo acknowledged that lenient sentences have encouraged armed groups to recruit minors to commit crimes. However, she said that Colombian law also considers that minors who are recruited by armed groups are victims, and is trying to protect them. 'As a society, we need to reflect on why a minor is getting caught up in a network of assassins, and what we can do to stop this from happening in the future,' she said. Camargo said officials had not identified any death threats against Uribe before Saturday's assassination attempt. But on Monday, Uribe's lawyer said he has sued the director of the National Protection Unit, a government agency that assigns security guards and bulletproof vehicles to politicians and human rights leaders. Uribe launched his presidential campaign in October. His lawyer, Victor Mosquera, said the National Protection Unit ignored multiple requests by Uribe to have his security detail expanded as he campaigned. 'His security detail had to be improved,' Mosquera said in a press conference. 'We have to investigate whether the attack (on Uribe) was a consequence of negligence.'
