Colombian presidential candidate survives surgery after head shooting
Colombian right-wing presidential candidate and senator Miguel Uribe is recovering after undergoing initial surgery following a shooting during a campaign event in Bogota.
The 39-year-old was shot twice in the head and once in the knee on Saturday while addressing supporters.
Authorities detained the suspected shooter, reportedly a 15-year-old, after a security guard intervened. Uribe was airlifted to Santa Fe Clinic in critical condition, where he underwent neurosurgery and a vascular procedure. Bogota Mayor Carlos Fernando Galan confirmed Uribe had survived the first stage of treatment, entering what he described as 'critical hours' of recovery.
Uribe's wife stated he had made it through surgery and was 'fighting for his life.' Videos from the scene showed him severely wounded as people rushed to help.
Two others were also injured in the attack, and police recovered a Glock-style firearm. The motive remains unclear, and authorities have launched an investigation, offering a reward of around $725,000 for any leads.
President Gustavo Petro condemned the incident as an attack on democracy and pledged full investigative efforts. However, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio criticized Petro's rhetoric, linking it to rising political tensions.
Miguel Uribe, a member of the Democratic Center party, had announced his candidacy for the 2026 presidential election. He has been an outspoken critic of President Petro and previously served in various political roles in Bogota.
His family has a notable history in Colombian politics and journalism, his mother, Diana Turbay, was a journalist killed after being kidnapped by Pablo Escobar's cartel, and his grandfather, Julio César Turbay, was Colombia's president from 1978 to 1982.
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Al Bawaba
15 hours ago
- Al Bawaba
Who shot Colombian presidential candidate Miguel Uribe?
June 8 (UPI) -- Colombian police have arrested a teenage boy in connection with Saturday's shooting of far-right presidential candidate Miguel Uribe. Uribe, a 39-year-old senator, was shot while he addressed his supporters during a campaign event in a park in Bogotá, the Colombian Attorney General's Office said in a statement Sunday. He was hit twice and remains in intensive care. Two other people were also injured, and police arrested a 15-year-old who was carrying a 9mm Glock pistol. Footage shared on social media appears to show when Uribe was shot, causing his followers to flee in panic. Fundación Santa Fe Bogotá, the hospital where Uribe was airlifted Saturday, said in a statement Sunday that he was admitted to the emergency room in critical condition. "After all the evaluations by various specialties, he was immediately taken to surgery to perform the initial damage control," the hospital said. "Once the neurosurgical and left thigh procedures were completed, he was transferred to intensive care for postoperative stabilization. His condition is of the utmost seriousness and the prognosis is reserved." The government of left-wing President Gustavo Petro, who is term-limited and cannot run for reelection, condemned the attack in a statement and expressed solidarity with Uribe. "The National Government categorically and forcefully rejects the attack that Senator Miguel Uribe Turbay was the victim of in the last few hours," the statement said. "This act of violence is an attack not only against the personal integrity of the senator, but also against democracy, freedom of thought and the legitimate exercise of politics in Colombia." Petro's government called peace, coexistence and respect for differences the "fundamental pillars" of a democratic society. Prosecutors said they were considering the shooting an attack on the "democratic participation" in the country, and Attorney General Luz Adriana Camargo Garzón expressed her alarm at the seriousness of the attack and urged for political unity in the country "to shield the electoral process." She said her office would investigate the shooting with the National Police.
Roya News
2 days ago
- Roya News
Colombian presidential candidate survives surgery after head shooting
Colombian right-wing presidential candidate and senator Miguel Uribe is recovering after undergoing initial surgery following a shooting during a campaign event in Bogota. The 39-year-old was shot twice in the head and once in the knee on Saturday while addressing supporters. Authorities detained the suspected shooter, reportedly a 15-year-old, after a security guard intervened. Uribe was airlifted to Santa Fe Clinic in critical condition, where he underwent neurosurgery and a vascular procedure. Bogota Mayor Carlos Fernando Galan confirmed Uribe had survived the first stage of treatment, entering what he described as 'critical hours' of recovery. Uribe's wife stated he had made it through surgery and was 'fighting for his life.' Videos from the scene showed him severely wounded as people rushed to help. Two others were also injured in the attack, and police recovered a Glock-style firearm. The motive remains unclear, and authorities have launched an investigation, offering a reward of around $725,000 for any leads. President Gustavo Petro condemned the incident as an attack on democracy and pledged full investigative efforts. However, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio criticized Petro's rhetoric, linking it to rising political tensions. Miguel Uribe, a member of the Democratic Center party, had announced his candidacy for the 2026 presidential election. He has been an outspoken critic of President Petro and previously served in various political roles in Bogota. His family has a notable history in Colombian politics and journalism, his mother, Diana Turbay, was a journalist killed after being kidnapped by Pablo Escobar's cartel, and his grandfather, Julio César Turbay, was Colombia's president from 1978 to 1982.
Al Bawaba
2 days ago
- Al Bawaba
Colombian presidential hopeful Miguel Uribe shot at campaign event
Published June 8th, 2025 - 06:42 GMT Despite sharing a surname, the senator and the ex-president are not related. ALBAWABA- A wave of shock and concern swept across Colombia on Saturday as Senator Miguel Uribe, a rising conservative figure and likely 2026 presidential candidate, was shot during a campaign gathering in Bogotá's Fontibón district. Also Read On its way to Gaza, the freedom flotilla faces unseen challenges Uribe, 39, affiliated with the opposition Democratic Center party, founded by former President Álvaro Uribe, is now hospitalized in critical condition, according to his wife, María Claudia Tarazona, who shared that he is 'fighting for his life' in a message posted to his X account. BREAKING 🔴 Colombian presidential candidate Miguel Uribe has been shot in Bogotá and is in critical condition. — Open Source Intel (@Osint613) June 8, 2025 Despite sharing a surname, the senator and the ex-president are not related. The incident occurred as Uribe addressed supporters in a public park, when assailants reportedly approached from behind and opened fire, according to a party statement. As reported by Reuters, bystander footage circulating on social media shows Uribe bleeding from the head and receiving immediate aid from attendees. While the Democratic Center condemned the 'serious attack,' it provided no specific update on the senator's condition. Colombian Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez confirmed that a suspect has been taken into custody and authorities are probing whether additional individuals were involved. He visited Uribe at the hospital and pledged full investigative support. President Gustavo Petro resonated with Uribe's family on X, expressing deep sorrow: 'I don't know how to ease your pain. It is the pain of a mother lost and a homeland.' Later that evening, Petro revealed in a public address that the alleged shooter is a minor. He stressed that the investigation would now turn to uncovering who may have orchestrated the attack. 'For now, all we have are hypotheses,' Petro said, also promising a review of the security measures in place at the event. © 2000 - 2025 Al Bawaba (
