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Sky News
11-08-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
Colombian presidential hopeful Miguel Uribe Turbay dies after campaign rally shooting
A Colombian senator who had been hoping to become the country's next president has died in hospital two months after being shot at a campaign rally. Miguel Uribe Turbay, a member of the opposition right-wing Democratic Centre Party, was shot in the head and leg on 7 June. The 39-year-old's death was confirmed by his wife. Santa Fe Foundation hospital, in the capital Bogota, said the senator died early on Monday, after it previously revealed his condition had worsened over the weekend. The shooting happened during a political event at a park in the Fontibon neighbourhood of the capital. A teenage suspect was arrested at the scene and authorities have since detained several other people. Mr Uribe Turbay underwent multiple surgeries before his death. In a social media post, his wife Maria Claudia Tarazona wrote: "I ask God to show me the way to learn to live without you. "Rest in peace, love of my life, I will take care of our children." The incident has renewed concerns about the safety of politicians in the country. The last time Colombians saw this kind of political violence against presidential candidates was when drug lord Pablo Escobar declared war on the state in the 1990s. Mr Uribe Turbay's mother, journalist Diana Turbay, was a victim in this period and died in 1991 during a botched rescue mission after she was kidnapped by the drug cartel. Despite his mother's death when he was a boy, Mr Uribe Turbay later became a prominent public figure and enjoyed a rapid rise in politics. He was known for his criticism of leftist President Gustavo Petro's administration. His maternal grandfather, Julio Cesar Turbay, was Colombia's president from 1978 to 1982 - while his paternal grandfather, Rodrigo Uribe Echavarria, headed the Liberal Party and supported Virgilio Barco's successful 1986 presidential campaign.
Metro
08-06-2025
- Politics
- Metro
Colombian presidential candidate 'fighting for life' after shooting
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A Colombian presidential hopeful is fighting for his life after being shot at a campaign rally. A 15-year-old boy has been arrested following the assassination attempt on Senator Miguel Uribe Turbay, 39, in the Fontibon neighbourhood of Bogota yesterday. His wife, Maria Claudia Tarazona, wrote on X that her husband remains in a critical condition. She said: 'Miguel is fighting for his life at the moment. 'We pray to God to assist the hands of the doctors who are attending to him. I ask that we all come together in a prayer of support for Miguel's life. 'I place my faith in God.' Pictures shared on social media showed Senator Uribe covered in blood before being rushed to the hospital in an ambulance. A medical report said the politician remained in a 'critical' condition and is undergoing a 'neurosurgical and peripheral vascular procedure' at the Fundacion Santa Fe hospital. President Petro Gustavo cancelled a planned visit to France due to the 'seriousness of the events' and said respect for life was a 'red line'. He said: 'I hope that Miguel Uribe Turbay survives, that's what I want first and foremost, and that society should feel, before anything else, and that we should join our hearts and energy to help him get well.' The country's first leftist head of state promised a 'transparent' investigation focusing on identifying those who ordered the attack, as the government offered a £540,000 reward for information. Senator Uribe Turbay was intending to run for the right wing Democratic Centre Party in next year's presidential elections scheduled for May 31. His mother, a journalist, was murdered in 1991 during one of the nation's most turbulent periods. The mayor of Bogota, Carlos Fernando Galán, said he condemned what he called an affront on democracy and called on the authorities to identify those responsible as soon as possible. He told reporters that these were 'critical' moments for the senator and his family. 'We must increase protection to those who are participating in these [campaigning] activities. We also call for protection to his family to guarantee their security at this time.' He added: 'We must be capable as a country to reject not just violence but also language that can eventually lead to hatred.' More Trending Colombia's defence minister Pedro Sanchez said: 'I have ordered the Colombian military and police forces and intelligence agencies to deploy all their capabilities to urgently clarify the facts.' US Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the 'violent leftist rhetoric' behind the assassination attempt. He wrote: 'Having seen firsthand Colombia's progress over the past few decades to consolidate security and democracy, it can't afford to go back to dark days of political violence. President Petro needs to dial back the inflammatory rhetoric and protect Colombian officials. 'We stand in prayer with Miguel's family, loved ones, and his supporters. Those responsible for this attack must face justice.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Body found in search for woman who disappeared after leaving London home MORE: Brit backpacker faces 20 years in jail for 'killing man in e-scooter crash' MORE: 'TikTok addicted' mum who stole £300,000 from work to spend on tokens is jailed
