Colombian Presidential Candidate Shot in Bogotá: Nation Reels from Attack on Miguel Uribe Turbay
BOGOTÁ, June 11, 2025 – Colombia is reeling after a shocking assassination attempt on Senator Miguel Uribe Turbay, a 39-year-old presidential hopeful from the right‑wing Centro Democrático party. During a campaign rally in Bogotá’s Fontibón area on June 7, he sustained three gunshot wounds — two to the head and one to the knee. Graphic video footage of the attack has resurfaced fears of Colombia’s notorious era of political violence orchestrated by drug cartels and rebel factions.
Uribe, a vocal opponent of left‑wing President Gustavo Petro, was speaking in El Golfito Park when a 15-year-old gunman, allegedly hired, opened fire from behind. The crowd panicked as the senator fell, bleeding heavily, before he was rushed to Santa Fe Foundation Hospital. He underwent emergency brain surgery and a vascular procedure, but remains in critical condition with limited response to treatment, according to hospital director Adolfo Llinás Volpe. His wife, María Claudia Tarazona, called on the public to pray for him, stating that ‘Miguel is in a critical fight for his life and needs the nation’s collective strength.
The shooter was arrested at the scene, wounded in the leg. He had a 9 mm Glock-style pistol that appears to have been legally purchased in Arizona in 2020. During interrogation, he claimed he acted “for money for my family,” fueling suspicions of a hired operation, though motives remain unclear. President Petro condemned the shooting as a direct assault on democracy and ordered a full investigation. He revealed that Uribe’s security detail had been inexplicably reduced from seven guards to three on that day, raising troubling questions about possible security lapses or foul play. A reward of 3 billion pesos (approximately $730,000) has been issued for information leading to those who orchestrated or financed the attack.
Political and civic leaders have strongly denounced the incident. Bogotá’s mayor, Carlos Fernando Galán, whose father was also assassinated in 1989, called the shooting a “deep wound” to democracy. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio attributed the incident to ‘aggressive left-wing discourse,’ an accusation that President Petro firmly denied. International leaders from countries like Chile, Ecuador, and Spain expressed solidarity with Colombia. Many on social media compared the attack to the 2023 murder of Ecuadorian political figure Fernando Villavicencio, while others accused the government of a potential cover-up, though evidence is lacking.
Uribe Turbay comes from a legacy of Colombian political figures. He is the grandson of former President Julio César Turbay Ayala (1978–1982) and the son of journalist Diana Turbay, who was killed by the Medellín Cartel in 1991. He graduated from Harvard, served on the Bogotá city council, and announced his run for the presidency in October 2024, pledging to advance security, fight corruption, and continue his mother’s legacy. The shooting occurred amid growing tensions around President Petro’s labor reform agenda and has reignited fears of political violence reminiscent of the assassinations of presidential candidates in the 1980s and 1990s.
As vigils and protests gather outside the hospital, the government has increased protection for all presidential candidates. The investigation, involving military, police, and intelligence agencies, is proceeding under public scrutiny, with President Petro promising to identify and bring to justice those behind the attack. Meanwhile, the nation waits anxiously, sending prayers and hoping for Uribe’s recovery, as a troubled past resurfaces on a national stage.
