Colombia's potential presidential contender shot, wounded at Bogota rally
Colombian Senator Miguel Uribe, a possible candidate in the country's presidential election next year, has been shot and wounded in the country's capital, Bogota, according to authorities.
The 39-year-old senator, who was shot on Saturday during a campaign event as part of his run for the presidency in 2026, is now 'fighting for his life', his wife, Maria Claudia Tarazona said on X.
Uribe is a member of the opposition conservative Democratic Center party founded by former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe.
The two men are not related.
The Democratic Center party released a statement calling it 'an unacceptable act of violence'.
It said the senator was hosting a campaign event in a public park in the Fontibon neighborhood in the capital when 'armed subjects' shot him from behind.
It described the attack as serious, but did not disclose further details on Uribe's condition.
A medical report from the Santa Fe Foundation hospital said the senator was admitted in critical condition and is undergoing a 'neurosurgical and peripheral vascular procedure'.
Videos on social media showed a man, identified as Uribe, being tended to after the shooting. He appeared to be bleeding from his head.
Colombia's Attorney General's Office, which is investigating the shooting, said the senator received two gunshot wounds in the attack, which wounded two others. The statement from the office said a 15-year-old boy was arrested at the scene with a firearm.
The government said it 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.'
Petro later said in a speech on Saturday night that the investigation would focus on finding who had ordered the attack.
'For now there is nothing more than hypotheses,' Petro said, adding that failures in security protocols would also be looked into.
The United States' Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement that the US 'condemns in the strongest possible terms the attempted assassination' of Uribe, blaming Petro's 'inflammatory rhetoric' for the violence.
Reactions poured in from around Latin America, with Chilean President Gabriel Boric saying 'there is no room or justification for violence in a democracy,' and Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa saying 'we condemn all forms of violence and intolerance'.
Both presidents offered solidarity to the senator's family.
In Colombia, former President Uribe said 'they attacked the hope of the country, a great husband, father, son, brother, a great colleague'.
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.
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Al Jazeera
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Prominent Colombia Senator ‘fighting for life' after shooting: What to know
Colombian presidential hopeful Miguel Uribe is 'fighting for his life' after being shot during a campaign rally in the capital, Bogota. The assault took place on Saturday in a park as the country gears up for next year's presidential election. Uribe, a 39-year-old senator, was shot twice – in the head and the chest, according to Colombia's Attorney General's Office. The suspect is a 15-year-old who is in custody. Here is what to know about the incident and Uribe's current status: Senator Miguel Uribe Turbay, who is seeking to run in the 2026 presidential election, was shot from behind at a campaign rally about 5pm [22:00 GMT] at El Golfito Park in Bogota's Fontibon district. A video verified by The New York Times shows Uribe being shot in the middle of his speech. 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. According to local media reports, he was first stabilised at a nearby clinic before being airlifted to the Santa Fe Foundation hospital. The hospital confirmed he arrived about 8:30pm on Saturday [01:00 GMT Sunday]. A security guard managed to detain the suspected attacker, a minor who is believed to be 15 years old. National Police Director Carlos Fernando Triana said the suspect was injured and was receiving treatment. Two others – a man and a woman – were also wounded. But no details were available regarding their identities. Uribe is stable but still in critical condition after emerging on Sunday from a 'neurosurgical' and 'peripheral vascular procedure', according to the hospital. He 'overcame the first surgical procedure', Bogota Mayor Carlos Fernando Galan told the media, adding that he had entered 'the critical hours' of recovery. 'He fought the first battle and fought it well. He is fighting for his life,' Uribe's wife was heard saying in an audio recording shared with the media. Uribe was elected as senator in 2022 under the conservative Democratic Centre party, founded by former President Alvaro Uribe, whom he is not related to. The former president described the shooting as an attack against 'a hope for the country'. His maternal grandfather, Julio Cesar Turbay Ayala, served as president from 1978 to 1982. He is also the son of journalist Diana Turbay, who was kidnapped in 1990 by Pablo Escobar's Medellin cartel. She died in a botched rescue operation by Colombian forces a few months later. Uribe has held several public offices, including Bogota City Council member (2012–2015) and government secretary of Bogota (2016–2018). He also ran for the capital's mayor in 2019 but lost that election. The Attorney General's Office confirmed a 15-year-old boy was arrested at the scene with a '9mm Glock-type firearm'. Witnesses had also described seeing a young assailant open fire from behind Uribe before being subdued by bodyguards and civilians. The suspect remains in custody with investigations under way to determine if there were any accomplices. No motive has been established, and authorities said there was no specific threat made against the politician before the incident. But the country is home to several armed groups, powerful cartels and has a long history of political violence. In the 1980s and 1990s, at least five presidential candidates were assassinated by drug cartels, paramilitaries or political opponents. One such case was the assassination of Luis Carlos Galan in 1989. Galan was a leading presidential candidate known for his strong anticorruption stance and opposition to drug trafficking. He was widely expected to win the presidency the following year. A 2016 agreement aimed to bring long-lasting peace to the country by disarming rebels from the left-wing Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia. Colombia's next presidential election is scheduled for May, in which current leftist President Gustavo Petro is ineligible to run due to term limits. A run-off will be held if needed. Uribe, who is a right-wing critic of Petro, announced his intention to run for president in March. The attack drew strong reactions from both local and international leaders. Petro pledged an investigation. 'What matters most today is that all Colombians focus with the energy of our hearts, with our will to live … on ensuring that Dr Miguel Uribe stays alive.' In an earlier statement, 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'. 'Respect life, that's the red line. … My solidarity [is] with the Uribe family and the Turbay family. I don't know how to ease their pain,' he posted on X. Defence Minister Pedro Sanchez mobilised military and intelligence resources and announced a reward of 3 billion Colombian pesos ($730,000) for information about the shooting. United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a statement saying the US condemns the attack 'in the strongest possible terms' and considers it a 'direct threat to democracy'. He also called on Petro to 'dial back the inflammatory rhetoric' and protect officials. Leaders across Latin America also condemned the attack. Chilean President Gabriel Boric said, 'There is no room or justification for violence in a democracy,' while Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa denounced 'all forms of violence and intolerance'. Both expressed solidarity with Uribe's family.
Al Jazeera
a day ago
- Al Jazeera
Colombia's potential presidential contender shot, wounded at Bogota rally
Colombian Senator Miguel Uribe, a possible candidate in the country's presidential election next year, has been shot and wounded in the country's capital, Bogota, according to authorities. The 39-year-old senator, who was shot on Saturday during a campaign event as part of his run for the presidency in 2026, is now 'fighting for his life', his wife, Maria Claudia Tarazona said on X. Uribe is a member of the opposition conservative Democratic Center party founded by former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe. The two men are not related. The Democratic Center party released a statement calling it 'an unacceptable act of violence'. It said the senator was hosting a campaign event in a public park in the Fontibon neighborhood in the capital when 'armed subjects' shot him from behind. It described the attack as serious, but did not disclose further details on Uribe's condition. A medical report from the Santa Fe Foundation hospital said the senator was admitted in critical condition and is undergoing a 'neurosurgical and peripheral vascular procedure'. Videos on social media showed a man, identified as Uribe, being tended to after the shooting. He appeared to be bleeding from his head. Colombia's Attorney General's Office, which is investigating the shooting, said the senator received two gunshot wounds in the attack, which wounded two others. The statement from the office said a 15-year-old boy was arrested at the scene with a firearm. The government said it 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.' Petro later said in a speech on Saturday night that the investigation would focus on finding who had ordered the attack. 'For now there is nothing more than hypotheses,' Petro said, adding that failures in security protocols would also be looked into. The United States' Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement that the US 'condemns in the strongest possible terms the attempted assassination' of Uribe, blaming Petro's 'inflammatory rhetoric' for the violence. Reactions poured in from around Latin America, with Chilean President Gabriel Boric saying 'there is no room or justification for violence in a democracy,' and Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa saying 'we condemn all forms of violence and intolerance'. Both presidents offered solidarity to the senator's family. In Colombia, former President Uribe said 'they attacked the hope of the country, a great husband, father, son, brother, a great colleague'. 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.
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