Colombian presidential contender has successful surgery after shooting
Thirty-nine-year-old Senator Miguel Uribe was speaking to supporters in the capital when a gunman shot him twice in the head and once in the knee before being detained.
A security guard managed to detain the suspected attacker, a minor who is believed to be 15 years old.
Uribe was airlifted to hospital in "critical condition" and underwent a "neurosurgical" and "peripheral vascular procedure," the Santa Fe Clinic in Bogota confirmed.
He "overcame the first surgical procedure," Mayor Carlos Fernando Galan told media, adding that he had entered "the critical hours" of recovery.
Uribe's wife, in an audio recording shared with media, said "he came out well from the surgery."
"He fought the first battle and fought it well. He is fighting for his life," she is heard saying.
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.
The suspect was injured in the affray and was receiving treatment, said police director Carlos Fernando Triana.
Two others -- a man and a woman -- were also wounded, and a Glock-style firearm was seized.
"Our hearts are broken, Colombia hurts," Carolina Gomez, a 41-year-old businesswoman, told AFP as she lit candles and prayed for Uribe's health. 'Day of pain'
A large investigative team is working on determining the motive for the attack, Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez said Sunday.
Earlier he had offered a roughly US$725,000 reward for information about who was behind the shooting.
Leftist President Gustavo 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."
The shooting was similarly condemned across the political spectrum and from overseas, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio calling it "a direct threat to democracy."
But Rubio also pointed blame at Petro, claiming the attack was the "result of 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," the top US diplomat said.
Venezuela, which has a longstanding border conflict with Colombia, also denounced the shooting, with the foreign ministry saying: "Venezuela strongly condemns the attack" on the senator.
Uribe, a strong critic of Petro, is a member of the Democratic Center party, which announced last October his intention to run in the 2026 presidential election.
Authorities said there was no specific threat made against the politician before the incident.
The country is home to several armed guerrilla groups and powerful cartels, and has a long history of political violence. Shot 'from behind'
Uribe is the son of Diana Turbay, a famed Colombian journalist who was killed after being kidnapped by Pablo Escobar's Medellin Cartel.
One of his grandfathers was president Julio Cesar Turbay, who led the country from 1978 to 1982.
Supporters gathered outside the Bogota hospital, lighting candles and clutching crucifixes as they prayed for Uribe's recovery.
The leader of Uribe's party, former president Alvaro Uribe -- who is not related to Miguel -- described the shooting as an attack against "a hope for the country."
Miguel Uribe has been a senator since 2022. He previously served as Bogota's government secretary and city councilor.
He also ran for city mayor in 2019, but lost that election.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
IOL News
2 hours ago
- IOL News
Gender gap closes at fastest pace since pandemic, says WEF
A woman holds a placard reading "No gender gap" during a rally for gender equality and against violence towards women to mark the International Women's Day in Rome in this file photo. Image: AFP The global gender gap has closed to 68.8%, marking the strongest annual advancement since the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report 2025, released on Thursday. However, the report says full parity remains 123 years away at current rates. 'At a time of heightened global economic uncertainty and a low growth outlook combined with technological and demographic change, advancing gender parity represents a key force for economic renewal," said Saadia Zahidi, the managing director of the World Economic Forum (WEF). "The evidence is clear. Economies that have made decisive progress towards parity are positioning themselves for stronger, more innovative and more resilient economic progress.' WEF logo Image: Supplied Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading A key finding of the report was that at the aggregate level, high-income economies have closed 74.3% of their gender gap – slightly higher than the averages observed in lower income groups: 69.6% among upper-middle income, 66.0% among lower-middle-income,and 66.4% among low-income economies. However, the top performers among lower income economies have closed a greater share of their gender gaps than over half of the economies in the high-income group. Iceland leads the rankings, out of 148 nations, for the 16th year running, followed by Finland, Norway, the UK and New Zealand. South Africa places 33 with a gender parity score of 76.7% Sub-Saharan Africa ranks sixth among regions in the 2025 Global Gender Gap Index, with an overall gender parity score of 68.0%. The WEF report said that since 2006, the region has improved its parity score by 5.6 percentage points. Comprising 36 economies, the region displays significant heterogeneity in parity outcomes. The highest-ranked country, Namibia (81.1%), places 8th globally and is the only Sub-Saharan African economy in the global top 10 in 2025. Historically, Namibia has featured in the top 10 six times. . At the other end of the spectrum, Chad ranks 146th with a score of 57.1%, resulting in a 24-percentage-point gap between the top and bottom economies in the region place in the global top 100. In Economic Participation and Opportunity, Sub-Saharan Africa ranks fifth, with a score of 67.5%, marking a 4.8 percentage-point improvement since 2006. The report found the region presents diverse performance profiles in this dimension: Chad records the lowest score (44.4%), while Botswana leads globally (87.3%). Female labour-force participation ranges from 39.2% in Senegal to 80.7% in Nigeria. Representation of women in senior economic leadership varies widely, from 11.6% in Chad to 69.9% in Burkina region has achieved a 35.1 percentage-point improvement in parity for senior officials, managers and legislators, and a 12-point gain in labour-force participation parity. Sub-Saharan Africa ranks eighth in Educational Attainment, with a score of 85.6%, up 5.2 percentage points since 2006. "This improvement is largely driven by gains in educational enrolment parity,though challenges remain, the report said. However, female literacy parity has declined by 1.5 percentage points over time, and in 2025, female literacy rates remain below 50% in 13 economies. Female enrolment in primary education remains below 80% in nearly one-third of the region's economies. Further, at the tertiary level, only Mauritius has enrolment rates above 30% for both men and women. In line with other regions, women surpass men in tertiary enrolment rates, the report said. Looking at Political Empowerment, the report found that Sub-Saharan Africa ranks fifth, with a score of 22.2% – a 12.4 percentage point improvement since 2006. At the launch ofthe index, the region scored zero for years with female head of state; by 2025, parity in this indicator has reached 3.2%.
The Citizen
3 hours ago
- The Citizen
Protests spread across US despite Trump threats
California seeks to block Trump's use of military in immigration raids, warning of creeping militarization and political escalation. Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department deputies fire a nonlethal weapon toward a man after he threw a can at them following a protest against federal immigration operations near Los Angeles City Hall in Los Angeles on June 11, 2025. Protests against Donald Trump's harsh immigration policies spread on June 11 across the United States despite a military-backed crackdown in Los Angeles and threats by the hard-right Republican president to use 'heavy force.' In Los Angeles, where the unrest began on June 6, an overnight curfew intended to keep people out of the downtown area was largely effective, with police arresting around 25 people who had refused to leave. (Photo by RONALDO SCHEMIDT / AFP) Protests over hardline immigration tactics ignited across the United States after days of demonstrations in Los Angeles, as California prepared Thursday for a legal showdown over President Donald Trump's deployment of the military. More than 1,000 people massed Wednesday in America's second biggest city, for a sixth day of protests, with the crowd peaceful as they marched through the streets. A second night of curfew was in place as city leaders try to get a handle on the after-dark vandalism and looting that scarred a few city blocks in the 500-square-mile (1,300 square kilometers) metropolis. 'I would say for the most part everything is hunky dory right here at Ground Zero,' protester Lynn Sturgis, 66, a retired school teacher, told AFP. 'Our city is not at all on fire, it's not burning down, as our terrible leader is trying to tell you.' The mostly peaceful protests ignited over a sudden escalation in efforts to apprehend migrants in the country illegally. ALSO READ: Hopes rise as US and China continue trade talks Pockets of violence — including the burning of self-driving taxis and hurling stones at police — were nothing the 8,500 officers of the Los Angeles Police Department had not dealt with before. In Spokane, Washington, a night curfew was declared after police arrested more than 30 protesters and fired pepper balls to disperse crowds, police chief Kevin Hall told a news conference. Trump won the election last year partly on promises to combat what he claims is an 'invasion' by undocumented migrants. He is now seizing the opportunity to make political capital, ordering the California National Guard to deploy despite Governor Gavin Newsom's objections, the first time a US president has taken such action in decades. 'We're going to have a safe country,' he told reporters on his way into a performance of 'Les Miserables' in Washington. 'We're not going to have what would have happened in Los Angeles. Remember, if I wasn't there… Los Angeles would have been burning to the ground.' ALSO READ: Trump says Musk has 'lost his mind' as feud fallout mounts Around 1,000 of the 4,700 troops Trump deployed were actively guarding facilities and working alongside ICE agents, said Scott Sherman, Deputy Commanding General Army North, who is leading operations. The rest — including 700 active duty Marines — were mustering or undergoing training to deal with civil disturbances, he said. The Pentagon has said the deployment will cost taxpayers $134 million. Governor Newsom, a Democrat widely viewed as eying a 2028 presidential run, has charged that Trump is seeking to escalate the confrontation for political gain. He warned Tuesday that the unprecedented militarization would creep beyond his state's borders, claiming 'democracy is under assault right before our eyes.' Lawyers for California were expected in court on Thursday to seek an order blocking troops from accompanying immigration officers as they arrest migrants. ALSO READ: Accusations and threats fly as Trump and Musk alliance melts down in blazing public row Trump administration lawyers called the application a 'crass political stunt.' Nationwide protests growing Despite Trump's threats to deploy the National Guard to other Democratic-run states, protesters appeared undeterred. Demonstrations were reported in St Louis, Raleigh, Manhattan, Indianapolis and Denver. In San Antonio, hundreds marched and chanted near city hall, reports said, where Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott has deployed the state's National Guard. A nationwide 'No Kings' movement was expected on Saturday, when Trump will attend a highly unusual military parade in the US capital. The parade, featuring warplanes and tanks, has been organized to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the US Army but also happens to be the day of Trump's 79th birthday. ALSO READ: US level 2 travel alert for SA 'nothing new', Presidency says 'Inflamed' situation The Trump administration is painting the protests as a violent threat to the nation, requiring military force to support regular immigration agents and police. But Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said the crisis had been manufactured in Washington. 'A week ago, everything was peaceful in the city of Los Angeles,' she told reporters. 'Things began to be difficult on Friday when raids took place… that is the cause of the problems. 'This was provoked by the White House.' Arrests by masked and armed men continued Wednesday. ALSO READ: Magwenya: Ramaphosa optimistic after Trump meeting boosts US-SA ties A pastor in the LA suburb of Downey said five armed men driving out-of-state cars grabbed a Spanish-speaking man in the church's parking lot. When she challenged the men and asked for their badge numbers and names, they refused. 'They did point their rifle at me and said, 'You need to get back,'' Lopez told broadcaster KTLA. – By: © Agence France-Presse
The Citizen
3 hours ago
- The Citizen
Trump sanctions of ICC judges sets 'dangerous precedent' Dirco says
The sanctions imposed on the judges will see their US-based property and assets blocked. The International Relations Department (Dirco) says a decision by President Donald Trump's administration to sanction officials on the International Criminal Court (ICC) 'undermines' the independence of the UN's top court. The Trump administration last week followed through with a threat to sanction officials on the ICC, naming four judges whom it accused of taking 'illegitimate and baseless actions' against the US and its allies. Judges sanctioned US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the sanctions in a sharply worded written statement. Rubio named Solomy Balungi Bossa of Uganda, Luz del Carmen Ibáñez Carranza of Peru, Reine Adelaide Sophie Alapini Gansou of Benin, and Beti Hohler in the statement. 'The ICC is politicised and falsely claims unfettered discretion to investigate, charge, and prosecute nationals of the United States and our allies,' Rubio wrote. 'This dangerous assertion and abuse of power infringes upon the sovereignty and national security of the United States and our allies, including Israel'. ALSO READ: SA welcomes ICC announcement seeking arrest warrants for Netanyahu and others Concern Dirco spokesperson Chrispin Phiri said the South Africa government is 'deep concerned' about the sanctions against the judges. 'These measures, in addition to those imposed earlier on the prosecutor, represent a direct affront to the principles of international justice and the rule of law. 'Such punitive actions against judicial officers performing their mandated duties are regrettable. They undermine the independence of the ICC and threaten the integrity of international legal institutions. They furthermore hinder the Court and its personnel in the exercise of their independent judicial functions,' Phiri said. Rome Statute Phiri added that South Africa, as a founding member of the ICC, views these sanctions and previous threats as an attempt to intimidate and obstruct the Court's efforts to hold perpetrators of the most serious crimes accountable. 'The ICC operates under the Rome Statute, to which 125 states are parties, and its mandate is to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression when national jurisdictions are unwilling or unable to do so. 'The imposition of sanctions on ICC judges sets a dangerous precedent that could embolden those who seek to evade accountability for egregious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law. It also poses a significant challenge to the global fight against impunity and the enforcement of international norms,' Phiri said. 'Pursuit of justice' Phiri stressed that Pretoria reaffirmed its commitment to the principles enshrined in the Rome Statute and will continue to work with like-minded nations to safeguard the integrity of international legal institutions. 'The pursuit of justice for victims of the gravest crimes must not be compromised by political considerations. 'Upholding the rule of law and ensuring accountability are essential for the maintenance of international peace and security as well as a rules-based international order based on international law,' Phiri said. ICC responds The sanctions imposed on the judges will see their US-based property and assets blocked. US-based entities are also forbidden from engaging in transactions with them, including through the 'provision of funds, goods or services'. The ICC said it stood behind its judges and 'deplores' the Trump administration's decision. 'These measures are a clear attempt to undermine the independence of an international judicial institution which operates under the mandate from 125 States Parties from all corners of the globe,' the statement said. 'Targeting those working for accountability does nothing to help civilians trapped in conflict. It only emboldens those who believe they can act with impunity.' ALSO READ: Israeli forces seize Gaza-bound Madleen with aid and Greta Thunberg [VIDEO]
