A Colombian presidential candidate remains in intensive care after being shot three times—twice in the head—during a campaign event in Bogotá.
Miguel Uribe Turbay, a 39-year-old senator, was attacked while addressing supporters in a park on Saturday. Police apprehended a 15-year-old suspect at the scene, the attorney general’s office confirmed.
Uribe’s wife, Maria Claudia Tarazona, appealed to the nation for prayers, saying, “Miguel is currently fighting for his life. Let us ask God to guide the hands of the doctors caring for him.”
His party, Centro Democrático, condemned the attack, describing it as a threat to “democracy and freedom in Colombia.”
Video footage shared online shows the moment Uribe was shot in the head during his speech, causing panic among the crowd as they fled.
He was airlifted to Santa Fe Foundation hospital, where supporters gathered for a vigil. Bogotá Mayor Carlos Fernando Galán said Uribe was rushed into surgery in critical condition late Saturday.
On Sunday morning, the hospital reported that Uribe had undergone surgeries on his head and left thigh and was being stabilized in intensive care. His condition remains extremely serious.
The 15-year-old suspect was shot in the leg while fleeing the scene and was arrested carrying a “9mm Glock-type firearm,” according to the attorney general’s office. An investigation is ongoing.
The government of left-wing President Gustavo Petro strongly condemned the attack as an act of violence against both Uribe and Colombian democracy. Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez denounced the “vile attack” and announced a 3 billion peso ($730,000) reward for information leading to those responsible.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also condemned the shooting as a “direct threat to democracy,” attributing the violence to “violent leftist rhetoric from the highest levels of the Colombian government,” though no evidence was provided. The suspect’s motives remain unclear.
Many Colombians have criticized the increasingly hostile rhetoric used by both government and opposition figures.
The week leading up to the attack was marked by political tension, with President Petro pushing reforms that opposition leaders, including Uribe, labeled unconstitutional.
Petro called for national unity and urged Colombians to pray for Uribe’s recovery, describing the day as one of pain. He acknowledged political differences with Uribe but emphasized, “What matters most today is that all Colombians focus their energy on ensuring that Dr. Miguel Uribe stays alive.”
Uribe, a right-wing critic of Petro, declared his presidential candidacy last October and has served as a senator since 2022. He hails from a notable political family with ties to Colombia’s Liberal Party. His mother, Diana Turbay, was a journalist killed in 1991 during a rescue attempt after being kidnapped by the Medellín drug cartel.
Many saw the shooting as a chilling reminder of Colombia’s violent past when drug cartels like Escobar’s targeted politicians to intimidate the government.
Bogotá Mayor Galán warned against a return to political violence and urged peace: “We cannot return to situations where violence was used to eliminate those with different views.”
President Petro was elected on a promise to bring “total peace” to Colombia. Though he made initial progress negotiating with gangs and rebel groups, his interior minister recently admitted the strategy was “not going well.”
In April, armed group attacks killed dozens of soldiers and police officers, and earlier this year, more than 32,000 people were displaced due to clashes between rival rebel factions in the northern Catatumbo region despite an existing peace treaty.
