Colombian authorities have launched a nationwide search for those behind the attempted assassination of opposition senator Miguel Uribe Turbay, as the 39-year-old politician remains in critical condition following a shooting at a campaign rally in Bogotá.
Senator Miguel Uribe Shot at Campaign Event
Miguel Uribe Turbay, a rising figure in Colombian politics and a likely presidential candidate in the 2026 election, was shot twice during a public appearance in Bogotá’s Fontibón district on Saturday, June 7, 2025. The senator was addressing a crowd when gunfire erupted. Chaos followed as people ran for safety, and Uribe was seen collapsing to the ground in video footage of the incident.
Authorities quickly intervened, and the General Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that a 15-year-old boy was arrested at the scene. He was reportedly carrying a Glock pistol and is now in custody while investigations continue.
Critical Condition After Emergency Surgery
Uribe was rushed to Bogotá’s Santa Fe Foundation hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery for head and leg injuries. Bogotá’s mayor, Carlos Fernando Galán, confirmed that the senator had “overcome the first surgical intervention” but warned that he remains in a “critical period of recovery.”
His wife, Maria Claudia Tarazona, told reporters that he was “fighting for his life,” but had shown strength and resilience. “He fought the first battle and fought it well,” she said.
Hospital officials later stated that Uribe had undergone neurosurgical and peripheral vascular procedures and remains in intensive care.
President Petro Promises to Find the Mastermind
Colombian President Gustavo Petro condemned the attack in a national address, calling it a “cowardly assault” not just on a political opponent, but on democracy itself. He promised a full investigation and said the government would spare no effort in identifying and capturing the mastermind behind the shooting.
“Not one peso or second of energy will be spared to find whoever ordered this attack, whether they are in Colombia or abroad,” Petro declared. He also pointed to a troubling trend of criminal networks using minors to carry out violent crimes and suggested that organized crime figures could be involved.
Petro called for political unity, saying, “Politics must be free of violence. Respect for life is the red line.”
A Political Legacy Marked by Tragedy
Uribe is no stranger to Colombia’s troubled political past. He is the grandson of former President Julio César Turbay Ayala (1978–1982) and the son of journalist Diana Turbay, who was kidnapped and killed in a botched 1991 rescue operation after being held by members of Pablo Escobar’s Medellín cartel.
His family’s experience with political violence shaped Uribe’s career. In October 2024, he announced his intention to run for president from the location where his mother was killed. “I could have grown up seeking revenge,” he said. “But I decided to do the right thing—forgive, but never forget.”
A Harvard graduate, Uribe previously served in Bogotá’s city government and became a senator in 2022, representing the conservative Democratic Center party, founded by former President Álvaro Uribe Vélez.
“Throughout Colombia’s recent history, several presidential candidates have been assassinated by various armed groups, both right-wing and left-wing. In the late 1980s, Bernardo Jaramillo Ossa, Luis Carlos Galán, Jaime Pardo Leal, and Carlos Pizarro Leongómez were killed. Many others would be the targets of attempts on their lives, such as Ernesto Samper Pizano, who, although not a candidate at this time, would become one in 1993 and win the 1994 election. The attack on then-candidate César Gaviria, in which an explosive device on a commercial airliner killed all passengers and crew, fortunately for him, he canceled his flight minutes before boarding. Each of these cases had in common the association of politics with drug trafficking or illegal organized groups associated with paramilitarism.
The attempt on the life of Miguel Uribe Turbay is different, at least as far as we know. The political differences between President Gustavo Petro and Senator Miguel Uribe are well known. The government’s debate is not argumentative and, on the contrary, hostile and filled with derogatory and offensive language. This does not mean that the government is directly responsible for this attack, but it did nothing to prevent it, and the political polarization throughout the country has deeply divided the population and returned us to 30 years of pre-election fear and terror. Security in the country has deteriorated, and we are reliving much of what we had already overcome as a nation.
What happened with Miguel Uribe completely changes the way politics is debated and conducted in Colombia ahead of the 2026 elections. Under these circumstances, political debate and the construction of ideas for a better country are lost; Colombians lose because insecurity increases and institutional trust decreases; and the country loses in terms of its international image and reputation.”
— Ariel Rodríguez Moreno, Comprehensive International Security
Strong Reactions from Colombian and International Leaders
The attack has sparked outrage and widespread condemnation. Colombia’s presidential office issued a statement calling it “an attack not only against Senator Uribe’s life, but against democracy and freedom of thought.”
Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez Suárez announced a reward of 3 billion Colombian pesos (about $730,000 USD) for information leading to those responsible.
Former Colombian presidents Álvaro Uribe, Juan Manuel Santos, Ernesto Samper, and Iván Duque all denounced the violence. Uribe’s Democratic Center party described the shooting as “an unacceptable act of violence” that threatens “democracy and liberty in Colombia.”
International Condemnation
Global leaders echoed those sentiments. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio strongly condemned the attack, calling it “a direct threat to democracy.” He attributed the rise in violence to what he described as “inflammatory rhetoric from the highest levels of the Colombian government.”
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa and Chilean President Gabriel Boric also issued statements rejecting political violence and expressing solidarity with Uribe’s family.
A Nation Still Haunted by Political Violence
Colombia has a long history of political assassinations, particularly during the turbulent 1980s and 1990s, when drug cartels and extremist groups targeted presidential candidates and government officials. The recent attack has revived fears of a return to such instability.
Miguel Uribe is part of a new generation of politicians with personal ties to that violent past. Bogotá’s current mayor, Carlos Fernando Galán, is the son of Luis Carlos Galán, a Liberal presidential candidate murdered in 1989. Another senator, María José Pizarro, often a political rival of Uribe, is the daughter of Carlos Pizarro Leongómez, assassinated in 1990 while running for president as a leftist candidate.
What Comes Next?
The full motive behind the shooting remains unclear. Authorities are examining whether the attack was orchestrated by organized crime groups or politically motivated individuals. President Petro has pledged an independent and thorough investigation, including into potential failures in Uribe’s security detail.
Meanwhile, the country watches and waits as Uribe remains under close medical supervision. Vigils have been held outside the hospital, with supporters holding candles and praying for his recovery.
With the 2026 presidential campaign still in its early stages, Uribe’s Democratic Center party has not yet officially named a candidate. But if Uribe survives, the attack may mark a turning point in both his personal story and Colombia’s political future.
Watch the full video of the assassination attempt on Senator Miguel Uribe here:
