Latest news with #CentroDemocrático
Miami Herald
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Colombia's opposition is hobbled by senator's murder, leader's scandal
BOGOTA, Columbia - After losing its most popular presidential candidate to a shock shooting, Colombia's conservative opposition is reeling. Senator Miguel Uribe's death provides the powerful Centro Democrático party with the opportunity to launch a full-scale attack against President Gustavo Petro's security strategy - not to mention the scandals and weak economy taking a toll on the administration. Instead, the opposition remains "deeply fractured," according to Sebastián Líppez, dean of political science at Javeriana University. Dozens of potential contenders across the political spectrum are vying to position themselves ahead of intra-party consultations in October and the formal start of the campaign at the end of January. Centro Democrático is also handicapped by the bribery conviction of its leader Álvaro Uribe, making it much harder to point the finger at government malfeasance. "During the next few months they must focus on finding that single candidate and forming alliances," Líppez said in an interview. "A fragmented right wing or center-right will be destined to fail in the next elections." The opposition has yet to successfully tap voter dissatisfaction with Petro. The leftist leader has failed to deliver on key campaign promises or produce tangible results from his "total peace" initiative, under which the government is negotiating with several guerrilla factions and drug-trafficking gangs simultaneously. Miguel Uribe was a critic of that strategy, warning that it emboldened criminals and left swathes of Colombia vulnerable again. His death Monday, two months after he was shot in the head, evokes memories of a darker era when four presidential candidates were murdered during the height of cartel violence more than three decades ago. Uribe's own mother was killed in 1991 after being kidnapped by Pablo Escobar's henchmen. The 39-year-old's assassination focuses the debate on the failure of Petro's peace policy, which ought to bolster its critics, according to Líppez. But even so, Colombia's conservatives still need a strong candidate to challenge the president's Pacto Histórico coalition, he said. A first-round vote will be held in May, with a potential runoff the next month. Petro can't run again and has yet to anoint a preferred successor from within his movement's ranks. There are no clear front-runners on either side of the spectrum, and a recent law banning the publication of voter intention polls until November isn't making assessing the race any easier. "The sense of disarray seems likely to favor a candidate that represents decisive change, particularly in terms of security policy," said Jimena Zúñiga, Latin America geoeconomics analyst at Bloomberg Economics. "This would favor a pendulum shift more than moderation toward the center, but Petro's low approval rate, combined with Colombia's runoff system, means the center is far from hopeless." Security wasn't a major worry for Colombians in the years leading up to Petro's election in 2022, according to María Margarita Zuleta, head of the school of government at Los Andes University. But it's now "become one of the most serious problems," she said. With Petro's administration favoring talks over force, illegal armed groups have expanded their reach while cocaine production soared to a record. High-impact crimes have spiked. Kidnappings for ransom jumped 164% in the first half of this year, compared to the same period of 2022, government data show. And extortions are up 44% since before the leftist president took office. On the economic front, inflation ticked up unexpectedly last month while weak finances prompted the government to suspend borrowing limits in June, to the dismay of ratings agencies and foreign investors. Politically, some of Petro's closes allies are being investigated for alleged misdeeds including embezzlement and money laundering. Yet security is now the top concern among Colombians, ahead of both the economy and corruption, according to the latest Invamer poll. Some 64% of respondents think the nation is going down the wrong path, versus 31% who say it's headed in the right direction. Petro's approval rating, however, ticked up to 37%, while disapproval edged down to 58% - his best net score since November 2022. The president, for all his missteps, still knows "how to capitalize on people's frustration regarding inequality," Zuleta explained. "There is a group of people who continue to see him as a way out." Petro's long-time rival, meanwhile, is now under house arrest. Álvaro Uribe became the first Colombian head of state to be convicted of a crime last month, when a judge found him guilty of obstructing justice in a case that centers on allegations he dispatched intermediaries to prisons to pressure former members of illegal armed groups into altering their testimony. Though Uribe and the slain senator weren't related, they were close allies. The former president, whose father was killed by guerrillas, deployed the military to combat cartels and rebel groups, overseeing declines in homicides that propelled him to massive popularity during his time in office, from 2002 to 2010. Uribe is such a prominent figure in Colombia that despite his problems with the justice system he'll be the "king-maker" of the 2026 presidential race, according to Pedro Viveros, a Bogotá-based political analyst and corporate consultant. That marks a sharp turn from three years ago, when Uribe's support was seen as detrimental given the anti-establishment mood that swept the nation and led to Petro's election as the country's first leftist leader. 'Monopolized' Discourse "Anything that happens in the center-right and the right will pass through the Centro Democrático, which is Álvaro Uribe," Viveros said. "People are frustrated that this government didn't deliver - and they will be looking for someone who can." But to Líppez, the Javeriana University dean, Centro Democrático isn't "the great force that concentrates the opposition," but instead is now just "one more voice in a much more fragmented scenario with multiple actors who are in dispute with the government" after Petro "monopolized the political discussion." It may take until March, when regional and congressional elections are held, and parties can hold presidential primaries, before the field of hopefuls is boiled down to the main contenders. No matter what, Viveros said, opposition to Petro "is what will unite the center and right candidates." Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Epoch Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Epoch Times
US Politicians Mourn Death of Colombian Presidential Candidate Miguel Uribe, Call for Justice
U.S. politicians and congressmen reacted on Aug. 11 to the death of Colombian senator and presidential candidate Miguel Uribe Turbay, calling for justice for the perpetrators of his assassination. Uribe Turbay, of the Colombian conservative Centro Democrático party, died early this morning after spending more than two months in a hospital following an attack in which he was shot twice in the head and once in the leg during an election event in the Modelia neighborhood of Bogotá on June 7.
Washington Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Colombian presidential hopeful dies after being shot at campaign event
Miguel Uribe Turbay, a Colombian senator and presidential hopeful, died Monday, two months after he was shot at a campaign event in the country's capital, the Associated Press reported. Uribe Turbay was a senator from the conservative Centro Democrático party, which mourned him in Monday X post. He was 39. His wife, María Claudia Tarazona, confirmed his death, the AP reported. He was shot on June 7 at a campaign rally in the Fontibón neighborhood of Bogotá and later admitted in critical condition to the Santa Fe Foundation hospital. He had been in intensive care since then, and doctors said at the time that his condition was 'extremely serious.' After the shooting, authorities arrested a 15-year-old carrying a 9mm Glock pistol, according to the attorney general's office. Uribe Turbay sustained two gunshots, the office said. Two other people were also injured. A motive for the shooting was not yet known. The incident shone a spotlight on political violence in Colombia ahead of presidential elections that will take place in May 2026. Uribe Turbay, the grandson of former president Julio César Turbay Ayala, had launched an early campaign as a 'pre-candidate' for the election. He was an ally of ironfisted former president Álvaro Uribe, but the two were not related. In a statement, Centro Democrático praised Uribe Turbay's fight against political violence and said its thoughts were with his loved ones. 'His struggle for life was a test for us, and his passing leaves a void impossible to fill,' the party said. 'Miguel will live forever in our hearts, and his example will continue to guide us.' This is a developing story and will be updated.
The Guardian
13-06-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Assassination attempt in Colombia sparks fears of return to bloody past: ‘It's a devastating moment'
The attempted assassination of a Colombian presidential hopeful has reignited fears of a return to a bloody past when organized crime and rebel groups murdered candidates, journalists, judges with impunity. The shooting of Miguel Uribe Turbay was one of the most serious attacks against a high-ranking politician in Colombia this century, and comes as a deteriorating security crisis grips the Andean nation. 'We're going back to the worst moments of violence that our country has known,' said Andrés Barrios, a councilman and close friend of Uribe's, who was standing beside him when he was shot. 'It's a very difficult time.' Uribe, a 39-year-old opposition candidate from the rightwing Centro Democrático party, was shot twice in the head and once in the leg during the campaign event. Graphic videos showed the senator bleeding profusely and slumped against the floor; he remains in a critical condition. A 15-year-old reportedly said he was paid to shoot Uribe and has been charged with attempted murder. He has pleaded not guilty. For many Colombians, the attack is reminiscent of some of the darkest chapters of their country's recent history. Between 1986 and 1990 five presidential candidates were murdered, while grassroots political activity was marred by regular violence. The country's last high-profile political assassinations were in 1995. 'Symbolically, it draws on the memory of a whole generation of Colombians who grew up at a time when violence was used as a tool at the height of politics,' said Elizabeth Dickinson, an analyst at the International Crisis Group. She added that Colombia political assassinations have historically been used to send messages, reconfigure power or pressure the government – and that the attack was meant to 'draw out fear and re-instill it and stoke polarisation'. While a military campaign against leftist rebels in the mid-2000s and a 2016 peace agreement with the country's largest guerrilla army ushered in a period of relative calm, many of the terms of the deal were never implemented, and new armed groups emerged, often financed with drug money. Over recent years, violence has surged. Human Rights Watch reported that since 2016, homicides have increased by 20.9%, kidnappings by 34.8% and mass forced displacements have quadrupled. This week a wave of coordinated bomb and gun attacks killed at least seven people and wounded 50 across the country's south-west. Police said attackers launched 19 attacks across Cali – the country's third largest city – and several nearby towns, hitting police stations, municipal buildings and civilian targets. In January, violence escalated on the other side of the country between armed groups fighting for control of a region bordering Venezuela, leading to the displacement of more than 50,000 people. 'It's a devastating moment for Colombia,' said Juanita Goebertus Estrada, Americas director at Human Rights Watch, adding that the 7 June assassination attack has sent a 'chilling message' to anyone wanting to engage in politics. 'If someone like Miguel – with a security detail and from an established political family – can suffer the kind of attack that he did, then really no one is safe,' Goebertus said. 'This is a reminder for those of us who actually lived through violence in the 80s that that violence is still very much present, and for those younger ones, a rediscovery.' Barrios criticised the government's handling of the recent spike in violence, saying that violence 'is escalating because these criminal structures are doing whatever the heck they want'. He also said that Uribe had requested increased security from the government 25 times before the shooting, but that his appeals were denied. The Colombian president, Gustavo Petro, has acknowledged that the security for Uribe had been severely reduced on the day of the attack, and said he was ordering increased security measures for opposition leaders. Petro also blamed a global crime syndicate for the shooting, saying: 'The assassins want us to kill each other, weaken the state, and advance their control over the illicit economy.' Uribe had been gearing up for next year's elections, scheduled for 31 May, although not considered a frontrunner. Several other potential candidates have suspended their campaigning activities following the attack. León Valencia, director of the Bogotá-based Peace and Reconciliation Foundation which monitors political-electoral violence, said four political leaders have already been murdered since this election cycle began on 8 March, and a further 53 people have reported politically motivated threats. 'There's always a lot of violence at the bottom in Colombian politics, but this incident is unique, because it concerns a presidential candidate,' he said. 'This attack – a harsh attack on democracy – has marred the electoral campaign.' Valencia cautioned, however, that there is a 'very big difference' between the 90s and today. 'First, the guerilla groups and the armed groups are not as strong as they were in the past, and second, there aren't any cartels with the power of Pablo Escobar or Cali,' he said. In the aftermath of the attack, the left and the right have traded blows about inciting hatred amid a tense political dispute over proposed reforms. 'Colombia's political leaders need to defend peaceful political participation and refrain from using hate speech that can incite political violence and put lives at risk,' Goebertus said. Uribe hails from one of Colombia's most prominent political families – his grandfather Julio César Turbay Ayala held the presidency between 1978-82 – and was raised in the shadow of the country's violence. When he was four, his mother, journalist Diana Turbay, was kidnapped by Pablo Escobar's Medellín cartel and killed during a botched rescue operation in 1991. 'One of the hardest things Miguel had to face in his life was growing up without his mother,' said Barrios, speaking by phone from inside the hospital where Uribe remains in critical care. 'I pray his own son does not have to go through the same.'
The Guardian
09-06-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Shot Colombian presidential candidate needs ‘miracle' to survive, doctors say
Miguel Uribe Turbay, the rightwing Colombian presidential candidate who was shot at a campaign rally, has reportedly shown 'little response' to medical interventions and needs 'a miracle' to survive, doctors said on Monday. The update on his condition comes as a judge confirmed the arrest of the 15-year-old suspect, after the prosecutor's office submitted 129 videos, witness testimonies and the seizure of a pistol as evidence. Uribe is a 39-year-old senator from the opposition Centro Democrático party, and in the running to join next year's presidential race. Footage showed him speaking to a small crowd in a park on Saturday, before shots rang out. Uribe was then pictured slumped against the bonnet of a blood-stained white car. Authorities later confirmed he had been shot twice. Uribe underwent major surgery over the weekend, which was initially deemed a success, but early on Monday the hospital said he had shown 'little response to the medical interventions'. 'His condition is extremely serious,' medical director Adolfo Llinás Volpe said. His wife, María Claudia Tarazona, asked for prayers on Monday morning and said 'Miguel needs a miracle'. The 15-year-old suspect was arrested at the scene minutes after the attack, during which he reportedly shouted: 'I did it for money for my family.' Police on Monday revealed that the 9mm pistol the suspect was carrying had been purchased legally in Arizona in 2020. The suspect was also injured during the attack and so has yet to be questioned; a security cordon has been set up around the hospital where he is undergoing treatment. He is expected to be charged with attempted murder and illegal possession of a weapon. Uribe hails from one of Colombia's most prominent political families; he is the grandson of former president Julio César Turbay Ayala (1978-82) and the son of journalist Diana Turbay, who was kidnapped by Pablo Escobar's Medellín cartel and killed during a botched rescue operation in 1991. A Harvard graduate, former Bogotá city councillor and outspoken critic of president Gustavo Petro, Uribe last year announced his presidential bid from the spot where his mother was killed. 'I could have grown up seeking revenge, but I decided to do the right thing: forgive, but never forget,' he said. Petro condemned Saturday's attack and said 'we cannot rule out any hypothesis'. Criminal groups in Colombia have often used minors to carry out killings. Colombia's defence minister has offered a 3bn peso (£540,000) reward for information leading to the identification and capture of those responsible for the attack, while the government has ordered increased security for all presidential candidates.
