Colombian Presidential Candidate Miguel Uribe Shot During Campaign Event in Bogotá

‍BOGOTÁ, COLOMBIA — Colombian senator and presidential hopeful Miguel Uribe Turbay, 39, was shot during a campaign event in Bogotá on Friday, prompting widespread shock and condemnation across the political spectrum. The opposition figure, who represents the Centro Democrático party, was struck in the head and back, according to local media outlet Semana, and rushed to a nearby medical facility. His current condition remains unclear.

Dramatic footage circulating online shows Uribe with visible wounds, blood covering parts of his head and back. Authorities swiftly detained the suspected gunman, Bogotá Mayor Carlos Galán confirmed on X (formerly Twitter).

President Gustavo Petro’s administration immediately denounced the attack, reaffirming its commitment to protecting political leaders of all affiliations. “Violence can never be the way forward,” said Foreign Minister Laura Sarabia on X. “I strongly condemn the attack against Miguel Uribe. I sincerely hope he is safe and out of danger.”

Uribe was campaigning in Fontibón, a densely populated neighborhood in western Bogotá, when the shooting occurred. He is a prominent political figure with deep ties to Colombian politics the grandson of former President Julio César Turbay and the son of Diana Turbay, a journalist killed by guerrilla forces in the early 1990s.

A staunch advocate of law and order, economic growth, and business-friendly policies, Uribe has become a leading voice in opposition to Petro’s leftist reforms. In the 2022 Senate elections, he received more votes than any other candidate, underscoring his popularity among conservative Colombians.

A close ally of former President Álvaro Uribe, Miguel Uribe has frequently warned of a resurgence in political violence and instability. Speaking at a banking conference in Cartagena just two days before the shooting, he cautioned: “They are dragging us back to a past of violence we don’t want to return to. Without security, there is nothing no public order, no legal certainty, no institutional stability.”

Educated at Universidad de los Andes and Harvard’s Kennedy School, Uribe has positioned himself as a rising star in Colombian politics and a central figure in the fight for conservative values in a country still grappling with the scars of civil conflict.

The investigation into the attack is ongoing, with Colombian authorities vowing to bring all those responsible to justice.

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Source: Business Standard 

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