Colombia Presidential Candidate Uribe Shot in Bogota: Semana
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Colombian Presidential Candidate Miguel Uribe Shot in Bogota
Miguel Uribe Turbay was shot at an event in Bogota, with his condition still unclear. Online footage of the shooting showed Uribe’s head and back covered in blood. The 39-year-old candidate from the opposition Centro Democratico party was taken to a medical center. Uribe is the grandson of former President Julio César Turbay and son of slain journalist Diana Turbay.
Colombian senator and presidential candidate Miguel Uribe Turbay was shot at an event in Bogota, with his condition still unclear.
The 39-year-old candidate from the opposition Centro Democratico party was taken to a medical center in the Colombian capital, Semana reported. Online footage of the shooting showed Uribe’s head and back covered in blood, the outlet reported.
The gunman has been detained, Bogota Mayor Carlos Galan said on X.
The shooting drew immediate condemnation from President Gustavo Petro’s government, which reiterated its commitment to the protection of all political leaders.
Uribe is the grandson of former President Julio César Turbay and the son of slain journalist Diana Turbay. He was campaigning in Fontibon, a popular neighborhood in west Bogota.
“Violence can never be the way forward. I strongly condemn the attack against Miguel Uribe,” Foreign Minister Laura Sarabia said on X. “I sincerely hope he is safe and out of danger.”
Uribe has leaned hard into law and order, economic stability, and a pro-business platform in his Senate role — where he won more votes than any other candidate in 2022.
A close ally of former President Álvaro Uribe, he has long warned that Colombia is backsliding into violence.
“They are dragging us back to a past of violence we don’t want to return to,” Miguel Uribe said on June 5 at a banking conference in Cartagena. “Without security there is nothing: physical safety, public order, legal certainty, clear rules, institutional stability, and rule of law.”
Educated at Colombia’s Universidad de los Andes and Harvard’s Kennedy School, Uribe has fiercely criticized Petro’s leftist reforms.
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Colombian presidential candidate Miguel Uribe shot at rally in Bogota, rushed to hospital
Colombian presidential candidate Miguel Uribe Turbay was shot and seriously wounded during a political rally in Bogota on Saturday. Uribe, a right-wing opposition senator and a candidate from the Democratic Center party for next year’s presidential election, was meeting supporters when a man allegedly approached from behind and opened fire. The 39-year-old is known for strongly opposing the current government led by President Gustavo Petro and is politically aligned with former President Álvaro Uribe Vélez. His mother, journalist Diana Turbay, was killed in 1991 during a rescue operation after being kidnapped by the Medellín cartel led by drug lord Pablo Escobar. The Colombian government condemned the incident, labeling it an “attack.
The incident occurred in El Golfito Park in the Modelia neighborhood of Bogota’s Fontibon district.
Uribe, a right-wing opposition senator and a candidate from the Democratic Center party for next year’s presidential election, was meeting supporters when a man allegedly approached from behind and opened fire, striking him in the back.
Several unverified videos circulating on social media show Miguel Uribe lying on the ground with blood pouring from his body, surrounded by panicked supporters. In the clips, people can be seen screaming, calling for help, and lifting the wounded politician in their arms.
According to SemanaTV, Uribe was seen with blood on his head and back and was rushed to a medical center in Bogotá. He was reported to be in critical condition.
‘Shooter captured’
Following the incident, Bogota Mayor Carlos Fernando Galán confirmed that Uribe was receiving emergency medical care and that the shooter had been taken into custody.
“Senator Miguel Uribe is receiving emergency care after being the victim of an attack this afternoon in Fontibón. The shooter has been captured. The entire Bogotá hospital network is on alert in case he needs to be transferred. My complete solidarity with Senator Miguel Uribe and his family,” Galán wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
According to a statement from the Democratic Center party, Senator Miguel Uribe was holding a campaign event in a public park in Bogotá’s Fontibón neighborhood on Saturday when “armed subjects shot him in the back.” The party strongly condemned the attack, calling it serious, but did not share specific information about his medical condition.
The Colombia presidency also released a statement, saying the government “categorically and forcefully” condemned the violent incident and urged authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into what happened.
The Colombian government condemned the incident, labeling it an “attack.” Reacting to the news, foreign minister Laura Sarabia posted on social media: “Violence can never be the way… I sincerely hope that (Uribe) is well and out of danger.”
Who is Miguel Uribe Turbey
The colombian presidential candidate, Miguel Uribe, is a well-known politician and lawyer. Born on January 28, 1986, in Bogota, Uribe is a key member of the right-wing Democratic Center party, reported Semana.
According to Reuters, Uribe’s mother, journalist Diana Turbay, was killed in 1991 during a rescue operation after being kidnapped by the Medellín cartel led by drug lord Pablo Escobar.
The 39-year-old is known for strongly opposing the current government led by President Gustavo Petro and is politically aligned with former President Álvaro Uribe Vélez, according to the the local media report.
Uribe began his political career at a young age. He served as a Bogotá City Councilor from 2012 to 2015, becoming the youngest person to hold the role. In 2014, he was elected president of the Council.