Colombian Presidential Candidate Miguel Uribe Shot at Campaign Event in Bogota
Colombian Senator and 2026 presidential candidate Miguel Uribe was shot during a campaign event in Bogota on Saturday, leaving him in serious condition at a local hospital. Authorities have arrested one suspect, and an investigation is ongoing.
Uribe, 39, a prominent opposition leader from the conservative Democratic Centre party, was addressing supporters at a public park in the Fontibon neighbourhood when gunmen opened fire. His party confirmed that he was shot in the back by “armed subjects” and is being treated for life-threatening injuries.
Colombia’s Defence Minister Pedro Sanchez said a suspect was immediately taken into custody at the scene. “Authorities are actively investigating the possibility of additional individuals involved in the planning or execution of this attack,” Sanchez said. He also visited Uribe at the hospital where he remains under intensive care.
The office of President Gustavo Petro condemned the attack in a strongly worded statement, saying the government “categorically and forcefully rejects this violent act” and called for a full investigation.
President Petro expressed solidarity with Uribe’s family on social media, referencing the senator’s tragic personal history. “I don’t know how to ease your pain. It is the pain of a mother lost, and of a homeland,” Petro posted on X.
Uribe’s family has long been involved in Colombian public life. His mother, journalist Diana Turbay, was kidnapped in 1990 by a group linked to drug kingpin Pablo Escobar and died during a failed rescue attempt.
The Democratic Centre party, founded by former President Alvaro Uribe, described Saturday’s incident as a “serious and cowardly attack on democracy.” Although Miguel Uribe and Alvaro Uribe are not related, the senator has been a close political ally.
Bogota has been placed on high alert, and security has been intensified around political leaders amid fears of further violence in the lead-up to Colombia’s next presidential election.
