Miguel Uribe, a 39-year-old opposition senator, was shot twice as he campaigned on Saturday in Colombia’s capital Bogotá. He is an expectant presidential candidate for the 2026 elections in Colombia. The attack took place in a crowded community park in the Fontibon district. Uribe was taking selfies with supporters when six armed assailants suddenly came up and shot him in the back. As a member of the opposition conservative Democratic Centre party, which was founded by former president Alvaro Uribe, the attack raises serious concerns about political violence in the country.
In the wake of the shooting, Miguel Uribe was quickly transported to a local hospital, where he is still in critical condition. His wife, Maria Claudia Tarazona, took to social media to report the tragic news. She added that her husband is “fighting for his life.” The family’s political ties to Colombia run deep. His own mother, then journalist Diana Turbay, was taken hostage in 1990 by an armed group operating under the orders of cocaine kingpin and Medellin cartel leader Pablo Escobar.
The shooting has prompted blistering critiques from across the political spectrum. U.S. Senator Marco Rubio expressed his outrage, stating he “condemns in the strongest possible terms the attempted assassination.” Uribe’s case has inspired tearful moments from other politicians. President of Colombia Gustavo Petro expressed his condolences for the tragedy. He acknowledged the immeasurable sorrow, not only of General Uribe’s family but of the whole country.
“I don’t know how to ease your pain. It is the pain of a mother lost, and of a homeland” – Petro
Civil and criminal investigations into the shooting are now ongoing. Petro noted that at this moment, there are no evident indications on the motives surrounding the attack.
“For now there is nothing more than hypothesis” – Petro
Miguel Uribe’s candidacy represents a significant moment in Colombia’s political landscape. As a member of the Democratic Centre party, he has made it his mission as president to continue the legacy of his predecessor, Alvaro Uribe. He prioritizes tackling the problems most important to everyday Colombians. This violent incident raises alarms about the safety of political candidates in an increasingly polarized environment.