Former Colombian President Uribe denies bribery and witness tampering charges in historic trial
BOGOTA, Colombia — Former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe on Monday denied charges of bribery and witness tampering as he made his opening statement in the first criminal trial of a former president in the country's history.
Speaking to a judge in the capital, Bogota, Uribe said that he would prove that the charges against him 'are politically motivated.'
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Suspect arrested in Colombian apparent assassination attempt
Colombian presidential candidate Miguel Uribe Turbay is in critical condition and "fighting for his life" after he was shot three times during a campaign rally in Bogota.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Teen accused of shooting 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.
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Miami Herald
10 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Fears of violence revived after Colombian senator shot in head at campaign rally
Miguel Uribe Turbay, a Colombian senator and presidential hopeful, is in critical condition after being shot in the head at a campaign event in Bogotá on Saturday. Analysts describe the attack as the latest sign of Colombia's deteriorating security situation and deepening political polarization, warning of a return to the dark era of political violence in the 1980s and 90s. Uribe, the grandson of President Julio Cesar Turbay, spent his life fighting against political violence after his mother, Diana Turbay, was kidnapped by the Medellin Cartel and killed during a failed rescue operation in 1991. Uribe's state was described as being of 'maximum severity' in a statement today by the Santa Fé Foundation, where the senator is being treated. 'This is the kind of moment that feels really pivotal, and it's frankly a very dangerous moment in Colombian politics,' Elizabeth Dickinson, Senior Colombia Analyst at Crisis Group International, told The Miami Herald. It is the first assassination attempt of its kind in decades, with many observers comparing it to the murder of presidential candidate Luis Carlos Galán in 1989. Galán's son, current Bogotá Mayor Carlos Fernando Galan, told reporters this morning that Uribe is in 'the critical hours of recovery' following overnight surgery. The attack was carried out amid a heavy police presence and just minutes away from El Dorado International Airport. 'I think it tells us a lot about the very fragile security dynamics,' said Dickinson. Colombia has been facing a mounting internal security crisis this year, including intensified armed conflict in rural zones and a campaign of killings targeting police officers in April. The shooting was carried out by a 15-year-old sicario, or paid hitman, who was apprehended by police shortly after fleeing the scene. It remains unclear who ordered the attack. 'It's very clear that the motivation of this attack was to be incendiary, to exacerbate polarization, to increase the levels of violence in politics,' said Dickinson. Colombian politics have been marked by increasing tensions between the leftist incumbent, President Gustavo Petro, and conservative opposition. Uribe was a far-right candidate for the Democratic Center party, considered to be former-president Alvaro Uribe's protegé. The hopeful campaigned promising to be tough on crime and to improve security in the country. Many on the right blamed Petro personally for the attack. 'Petro, you are the only one responsible for whatever happens to Miguel Uribe and to all the other candidates,' wrote Vicky Dávila, the conservative favorite in next year's elections, in an X post on Saturday. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio joined the chorus of criticism against Petro, who he has publicly clashed with on multiple occasions in the past. 'This is a direct threat to democracy and the result of the violent leftist rhetoric coming from the highest levels of the Colombian government,' wrote Washington's top diplomat in a post on X on Saturday night. Petro has been criticized for his unconventional approach to statesmanship, often publishing rambling late-night posts on X criticizing his opponents. 'What the country really needs right now is a president who serves as a healer,' Sergio Guzmán, Director at Colombia Risk Analysis, a security think tank, told The Miami Herald. 'Unfortunately, it doesn't look like that's going to happen and without that we can expect more episodes of political violence,' added the analyst. Uribe's shooting is a powerful symbol in Colombia, where many remember his journalist mother's high-profile murder. 'It's really tragic, actually, to see this sort of cycle of violence within his own family,' said Dickinson. The analyst described how Uribe's experience of violence from a young age defined his politics. 'Whether you agreed with his ideals or not, he came down very clearly on that subject, which is that violence has no role in politics,' explained Dickinson. But the attack has shown violence is once again a part of Colombian politics, with many observers fearing it is just the tip of the iceberg.
