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.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
14 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Colombian prez candidate Uribe remains critical following assassination bid
Miguel Uribe, a conservative Colombian presidential hopeful, was in critical condition on Monday after being shot in the head from 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 that 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 to not 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. On Monday, Colombia's Senate said it will suspend sessions for an undetermined number of days to show its solidarity with Uribe. The Senate was expected to vote this week on labour legislation that Colombia's president wants to enact through a referendum. Also on Monday, in a joint statement nine opposition parties said they will turn to "international entities" that can provide them with "conditions of equality that have been denied" to them by Colombia's government. The parties also called on the Inspector General's office to create a commission that will guarantee transparency and security in elections. 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 Snchez 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 prior to 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 bullet proof 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." In a message on X on Monday, Petro wrote that Uribe's security detail was "strangely" reduced from seven to three bodyguards on the day of the assassination attempt, and said he asked police to investigate. Petro said there are still many theories about the motive for the attack.
Mint
40 minutes ago
- Mint
Miguel Uribe in critical condition; gun used for attacking Colombian presidential candidate traced to US purchase
Colombia's left-wing president claimed on Monday that the security assigned to a presidential candidate, now critically wounded, had been 'oddly scaled back' ahead of the shooting—raising concerns of a possible conspiracy. Conservative senator and presidential hopeful Miguel Uribe, 39, was shot twice in the head at close range by a 15-year-old suspected assassin while campaigning in Bogotá on Saturday. The attack has rocked the country, triggering widespread speculation about those responsible. Authorities suspect the teenager was a contract killer but acknowledge that the identity and motive of whoever ordered the hit remain unclear, AFP reported. According to police chief Carlos Triana, the Glock pistol he is alleged to have used was purchased legally in the US state of Arizona in 2020. With Uribe fighting for his life in the hospital, Petro did little Monday to lower the political temperature. The president took to social media to accuse some opponents of politicising the tragedy. He also claimed that the number of bodyguards assigned to Uribe had been 'strangely reduced' from seven to three on the day of the attack while calling for a full investigation. Petro said he was the subject of a bounty taken up by "dark forces" and neo-nazis, and was the target of an "extraction" plot pitched to Israeli foreign intelligence agency Mossad. The head of Colombia's National Protection Unit, which is charged with protecting public figures, said three agents and four police officers protected Uribe on the day he was shot. Augusto Rodriguez admitted 'there were fewer people than there should have been' at the time of the attack because some had been working long hours the previous day. Colombian lawmakers are typically assigned seven bodyguards and a motorcade consisting of two armoured vehicles, AFP reported citing government officials. Rodriguez—a trusted ally of President Petro and a former M-19 guerrilla—asserted that a police officer was in charge of coordinating security for the candidates. Over 20 formal requests to enhance Uribe's security had been ignored. At the same time, Miguel Uribe's lawyer filed a criminal complaint against Rodriguez, alleging that over 20 formal requests to enhance Uribe's security had been ignored. The number of bodyguards assigned to Uribe had been 'strangely reduced' from seven to three on the day of the attack. Key Takeaways The attack on Miguel Uribe raises serious concerns about political safety and security measures in Colombia. Investigations are necessary to determine the motives and individuals behind the assassination attempt. The link between gun purchases in the US and violence in Colombia highlights ongoing issues related to gun control and international arms trafficking.
Hindustan Times
7 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.'
