Colombia Candidate Fighting for Life After Assassination Bid
By and Andreina Itriago
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Surgeons are operating on Colombian presidential candidate Miguel Uribe Turbay after an assassination attempt that recalled the political violence that roiled the nation in the 1980s and 1990s.
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2 hours ago
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Watch: Colombian presidential candidate shot twice in the head
Credit: Social media A Right-wing Colombian politician campaigning to become the country's next president is fighting for his life after being shot twice in the head and once in the leg. Miguel Uribe, 39, was standing in a park and addressing supporters in the capital, Bogota, when a gunman opened fire. He was in the middle of his address when he was shot in the head, with the sound of gunfire prompting supporters to flee in panic. Video footage showed Mr Uribe slumped against a white car, his clothes drenched in blood. The suspected gunman – who is reported to be just 15 – was arrested by a security guard at the scene. He was allegedly armed with a 9mm Glock-type pistol. Mr Uribe, a senator for the Democratic Centre party, was airlifted to hospital, where he had emergency brain surgery. Maria Claudia Tarazona, his wife, appealed to Colombians to pray for his survival. 'Miguel is currently fighting for his life. Let us ask God to guide the hands of the doctors who are treating him,' she said. The motive for the assassination attempt is not yet known. The authorities have offered a reward of three billion peso (£540,000) for information about who was behind it. Mr Uribe, a staunch critic of Gustavo Petro, the Left-wing president of Colombia, announced last year that he intended to run in next year's presidential election. His family has been touched by violence in the past. His mother, a prominent journalist, was killed in 1991 during a rescue attempt after she was kidnapped by the Medellin cartel, run at the time by Pablo Escobar, the notorious drug lord. Colombia has a long history of political violence and is home to armed guerrilla groups as well as drug-dealing cartels. President Petro condemned the shooting as 'an attack not only against his person, but also against democracy, freedom of thought, and the legitimate exercise of politics in Colombia'. Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State, called the attack 'a direct threat to democracy'. He blamed the attack, without providing examples, on '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,' Mr Rubio said. Mr Uribe, who has been a senator since 2022, is from a prominent political family in Colombia. One of his grandfathers was the country's president from 1978 to 1982. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Colombia presidential hopeful Miguel Uribe shot: 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 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.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
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Paraguayan Olympian Shares The 'Inappropriate' Reason That Caused Her To Leave Athletes' Village In 2024
Months after she was accused of creating an "inappropriate" atmosphere at the Olympic Village, Paraguayan Olympic swimmer Luana Alonso has come out to refute the claims. The 21-year-old called the allegations "false rumors" while explaining in detail what actually happened at the time. Advertisement She also claimed that after leaving of her own volition, Paraguayan swimming officials begged her to return for an upcoming competition in August. However, Luana Alonso previously shared that she remains unsure if she will return to competitive swimming in the near future. Luana Alonso Claims She Left The Olympic Village On Her Own Instagram | Luana Alonso Taking to her Instagram Stories on Wednesday, Luana Alonso launched into an intense rant, addressing the misconduct allegations made against her by Paraguayan swimming officials during her participation in the Olympics last year. At the time, the head of the Paraguayan Olympic Committee, Larissa Schaerer, claimed that the 21-year-old's presence was "creating an inappropriate atmosphere" within the team, which led to her alleged removal. Advertisement Now, Alonso has countered those claims, stating that she "left" on her own and calling the accusations "false rumors." "The Paraguayan Olympic team claimed I created an 'inappropriate environment simply because I decided I didn't want to swim anymore," Alonso further explained to her fans on her page, per the New York Post. "They tried to take my accreditation away, but that's not something they had the right to do. I chose not to hand it over, and apparently that was 'inappropriate' to them," Alonso added in her post. Why The Paraguayan Swimmer Is Breaking Her Silence Alonso's remarks come 11 months after the incident, seemingly a long time for the drama to have died down. Advertisement However, according to the swimmer, she is breaking her silence now because the claims are still affecting her to this day. "Seriously, this (sic) lies are wild and affecting my life, and that's why I decided I'm keeping my life lowkey," she stated. Further in her rant, Alonso also revealed that she could bring lawsuits against the outlets that published the claims about her being allegedly booted out of the Olympic Village last year. "I'm seriously considering legal action against the magazines and media outlets spreading false rumors like that I was expelled from the Olympic Village. Really? Who came up with that nonsense? Well that it's not true," she said. Luana Alonso Announced Her Retirement From Competitive Swimming Instagram | Luana Alonso After allegedly being kicked out of the Olympic Village, Alonso swiftly announced her retirement from the Paraguayan swimming team. Advertisement She then seemingly recanted that decision by showing up for training just weeks later. In May, she responded to a fan who asked if she would swim for the country again, saying she intended to return in 2026. Alonso, however, noted that she was unsure she would be returning for "competitive swimming." The Two-Time Olympian Remains Unsure About Returning To Competitive Swimming Now, according to Alonso, a spot has opened up for her on the team for the Pan American Junior Games, set to be held in the country's capital, Asunción, this August. However, it seems unlikely that she will take part. Advertisement "If I had been treated with basic respect, maybe I wouldn't have stepped away," the two-time Olympian said while noting that the country's swimming officials have pleaded with her to return for the upcoming competition. She also added that she had "given everything" for her country, but that didn't stop them from turning their back on her when she stood up for herself last year. Luana Alonso Launched An OnlyFans Page Two Months After Olympic Incident Instagram | Luana Alonso Two months after allegedly being kicked out of the Olympic Village, Alonso shocked fans by launching an OnlyFans account. Advertisement At the time, the Daily Mail reported that the swimmer created the page to sell exclusive adult content, with a monthly subscription fee of $37. Her profile bio also hinted at this, featuring a sultry caption seemingly intended to entice fans to subscribe. It read, "Your favourite ex-swimmer. Promise you won't regret this. We're gonna have a lot of fun together (in the messages)." At the moment, it remains unclear if the OnlyFans page is still up and if Alonso has been active on it.
