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Reuters
2 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Death of Miguel Uribe, murdered Colombia senator, echoes mother's tragedy
BOGOTA, Aug 11 (Reuters) - Miguel Uribe, who died on Monday, was from a prominent Colombian political family for whom the turbulence of the country's recent decades twice became personal tragedy. Uribe had been vying for his party's candidacy in upcoming presidential elections but died two months after being shot in the head at a campaign rally. He was 39. His mother, journalist Diana Turbay, was killed in 1991 during a botched rescue mission after she was kidnapped by the Medellin Cartel, headed by drug lord Pablo Escobar. Her kidnapping and death were recounted in Colombian writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez's 1996 book "News of a Kidnapping." Over 450,000 people have died and millions have been displaced in an armed conflict fueled and funded by cocaine trafficking that has lasted over six decades in Colombia. "Violence cannot continue to mark our destiny," said Vice President Francia Marquez on Monday in response to Uribe's death. "Democracy is not built with bullets or blood; it is built with respect, dialogue and recognizing our differences, regardless of political position." Political violence has become rarer in recent years, with the government and the main rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, reaching a peace deal in 2016. But in the 1980s and 1990s, four presidential candidates were murdered in separate attacks blamed on drug cartels allied with right-wing paramilitary death squads. The Uribe family has long been prominent in Colombian politics. Miguel Uribe's maternal grandfather, Julio Cesar Turbay, served as 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. Born in Bogota in 1986, Uribe enjoyed a rapid political rise. At 25, he was elected to the capital's city council, where he was a prominent opponent of Gustavo Petro, now the president but then the city's leftist mayor. He was critical of Petro's handling of waste management and social programs. In 2016, at 30, Uribe was appointed city government secretary, the youngest person ever to hold the position. He resigned from that post in 2018 to launch an unsuccessful bid for mayor of Bogota as an independent. In 2022, he was elected as a senator for the right-wing Democratic Center party, running on the slogan "Colombia First." In the Senate, Uribe cemented his role as one of the primary opposition voices to Petro, criticizing the government's peace strategy aimed at ending Colombia's six-decade armed conflict. Uribe said Petro's strategy of pausing offensives on armed groups had backfired as peace talks failed. "Colombia needs leadership, unity and work. Peace cannot be reached through impunity," Uribe told fellow lawmakers in July 2024, on the opening day of the legislative session. "Only a serious security policy will incentivize criminals to lay down their arms and submit to the law." "Without security there is nothing." When he was shot, he had been running to be chosen as the candidate for the Democratic Center in the 2026 presidential election. He was not considered a likely frontrunner. He and his wife, Claudia Tarazona, had been married for over nine years and he was stepfather to her daughters from a previous relationship. Their son together is 4. He is also survived by his father and sister.
Reuters
2 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Colombian Senator Uribe dies months after campaign shooting
BOGOTA, Aug 11 (Reuters) - Colombian Senator Miguel Uribe, who had been hospitalized since he was shot in the head in June during a campaign event, has died, his family said on Monday. He was 39. Uribe, a potential presidential candidate from the right-wing opposition, was shot in Bogota on June 7 during a rally and underwent multiple surgeries before his death. "I ask God to show me the way to learn to live without you," his wife Maria Claudia Tarazona wrote on social media. "Rest in peace, love of my life, I will take care of our children." The death of Uribe adds further tragedy to his family's fraught history. His mother, journalist Diana Turbay, was killed in 1991 during a botched rescue mission after she was kidnapped by the Medellin Cartel, headed by drug lord Pablo Escobar. Uribe himself has enjoyed a rapid political rise, becoming a recognized lawmaker for the right-wing Democratic Center party and presidential hopeful known for his sharp criticism of leftist President Gustavo Petro's administration. At 25, he was elected to Bogota's city council, where he was a prominent opponent of Petro, then the capital's mayor, criticizing his handling of waste management and social programs. In the 2022 legislative elections, Uribe led the Senate slate for the Democratic Center party with the slogan "Colombia First," winning a seat in the chamber. His family is prominent in Colombian politics. 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.
Al Arabiya
2 days ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Colombia presidential candidate dies months after campaign shooting
Colombian Senator Miguel Uribe, who had been hospitalized since he was shot in the head in June during a campaign event, has died, his family said on Monday. He was 39. Uribe, a potential presidential candidate from the right-wing opposition, was shot in Bogota on June 7 during a rally and underwent multiple surgeries before his death. 'I ask God to show me the way to learn to live without you,' his wife Maria Claudia Tarazona wrote on social media. 'Rest in peace, love of my life, I will take care of our children.' The death of Uribe adds further tragedy to his family's fraught history. His mother, journalist Diana Turbay, was killed in 1991 during a botched rescue mission after she was kidnapped by the Medellin Cartel, headed by drug lord Pablo Escobar. Uribe himself has enjoyed a rapid political rise, becoming a recognized lawmaker for the right-wing Democratic Center party and presidential hopeful known for his sharp criticism of leftist President Gustavo Petro's administration. At 25, he was elected to Bogota's city council, where he was a prominent opponent of Petro, then the capital's mayor, criticizing his handling of waste management and social programs. In the 2022 legislative elections, Uribe led the Senate slate for the Democratic Center party with the slogan 'Colombia First,' winning a seat in the chamber. His family is prominent in Colombian politics. 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.
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Colombian senator Miguel Uribe dies after June campaign shooting
A Colombian senator who was shot in the head in June during a campaign event has died, his family has said. Miguel Uribe, a potential presidential candidate from the rightwing opposition, was shot in Bogotá on 7 June during a rally and had multiple surgeries before his death. His wife, Maria Claudia Tarazona, wrote on social media: '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.' Uribe's death aged 39 adds further tragedy to his family's fraught history. His mother, the journalist Diana Turbay, was killed in 1991 during a botched rescue mission after she was kidnapped by the Medellín cartel, headed by the drug lord Pablo Escobar. Uribe enjoyed a rapid political rise, becoming a recognised lawmaker for the rightwing Democratic Centre party and presidential hopeful known for his sharp criticism of the administration of the leftwing president, Gustavo Petro. At 25, he was elected to Bogotá's city council, where he was a prominent opponent of Petro, then the capital's mayor, criticising his handling of waste management and social programmes. In the 2022 legislative elections, Uribe led the senate slate for Democratic Centre with the slogan 'Colombia first', winning a seat in the chamber. His family is prominent in Colombian politics. His maternal grandfather, Julio César 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.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Colombian authorities charge 15-year-old with attempted murder of presidential candidate
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Colombian authorities on Tuesday charged a 15-year-old with attempted murder for the assasination attempt on Miguel Uribe, the conservative presidential candidate who was shot in the head this weekend and is now in critical condition. The Attorney General's office said the teenager shot at Uribe during a rally in Bogota's Modelia neighborhood and was captured fleeing the scene with a gun. The teenager, whose name has not been released, pleaded not guilty to the charges. He is currently recovering in a hospital from leg wounds. Colombia's Defense Minister said on Tuesday that authorities are still investigating who may have been behind the attack on Uribe, a 39-year-old senator and one of the nation's most visible opposition figures. Armed groups in Colombia frequently recruit minors for assassinations and other crimes, a practice driven by the lenient penalties they face under Colombian law. The teenager charged with attempted murder on Tuesday faces up to eight years in detention. A judge has ordered his detention at a juvenile center once he leaves hospital. The attack on Uribe has been widely condemned in Colombia, where many voters are concerned about the country's deteriorating security situation. Uribe, whose maternal grandfather was a Colombian president, is the son of Diana Turbay, a prominent news anchor who was assassinated in 1991 after being kidnapped by the powerful Medellin Cartel. Colombian opposition parties have asked for greater security guarantees in the wake of the attack, with some also urging President Gustavo Petro to moderate his rhetoric, as the nation prepares for presidential elections next year. While Petro condemned the attack on Uribe, he often refers to opposition leaders in his speeches and social media posts as 'Nazis' 'oligarchs' and 'enemies of the people.' On Tuesday, Uribe's wife María Claudia Tarazona addressed journalists outside the hospital where the senator is being treated, calling for unity and calm. 'I call on every sector, on all the political groups, on armed groups and on every corner of this country to heal,' she said, adding that Uribe 'is a warrior who is fighting for his life.' ____ Follow AP's coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at Manuel Rueda, The Associated Press
