Colombia presidential hopeful Miguel Uribe shot: What to know

Colombian statesmanlike hopeful Miguel Uribe is “fighting for his life” aft being changeable during a campaign rally successful the capital, Bogota.

The battle took spot connected Saturday successful a parkland arsenic the state gears up for adjacent year’s statesmanlike election. Uribe, a 39-year-old senator, was changeable doubly – successful the caput and the chest, according to Colombia’s Attorney General’s Office.

The fishy is simply a 15-year-old who is successful custody.

Here is what to cognize astir the incidental and Uribe’s existent status:

What happened astatine the rally?

Senator Miguel Uribe Turbay, who is seeking to tally successful the 2026 statesmanlike election, was changeable from down astatine a run rally astir 5pm [22:00 GMT] astatine El Golfito Park successful Bogota’s Fontibon district.

A video verified by The New York Times shows Uribe being changeable successful the mediate of his speech. Images from the country of the shooting showed Uribe slumped against the hood of a achromatic car, smeared with blood, arsenic a radical of men tried to clasp him and halt the bleeding.

According to section media reports, helium was archetypal stabilised astatine a adjacent session earlier being airlifted to the Santa Fe Foundation hospital. The hospital confirmed helium arrived astir 8:30pm connected Saturday [01:00 GMT Sunday].

A information defender managed to detain the suspected attacker, a insignificant who is believed to beryllium 15 years old. National Police Director Carlos Fernando Triana said the fishy was injured and was receiving treatment.

Two others – a antheral and a pistillate – were besides wounded. But nary details were disposable regarding their identities.

Miguel Uribe Londono, acold left, begetter of Miguel Uribe Turbay extracurricular Santa Fe Foundation infirmary [Ivan Valencia/AP Photo]

What is Uribe’s wellness presumption now?

Uribe is unchangeable but inactive successful captious information aft emerging connected Sunday from a “neurosurgical” and “peripheral vascular procedure”, according to the hospital.

He “overcame the archetypal surgical procedure”, Bogota Mayor Carlos Fernando Galan told the media, adding that helium had entered “the captious hours” of recovery.

“He fought the archetypal conflict and fought it well. He is warring for his life,” Uribe’s woman was heard saying successful an audio signaling shared with the media.

Who is Miguel Uribe?

Uribe was elected arsenic legislator successful 2022 nether the blimpish Democratic Centre party, founded by erstwhile President Alvaro Uribe, whom helium is not related to.

The erstwhile president described the shooting arsenic an onslaught against “a anticipation for the country”.

His maternal grandfather, Julio Cesar Turbay Ayala, served arsenic president from 1978 to 1982. He is besides the lad of writer Diana Turbay, who was kidnapped successful 1990 by Pablo Escobar’s Medellin cartel. She died successful a botched rescue cognition by Colombian forces a fewer months later.

Uribe has held respective nationalist offices, including Bogota City Council subordinate (2012–2015) and authorities caput of Bogota (2016–2018). He besides ran for the capital’s politician successful 2019 but mislaid that election.

Miguel Uribe, 39, was successful captious information and 1 idiosyncratic had been arrested successful his shooting [File: Raul Arboleda/AFP]

Who attacked Uribe?

The Attorney General’s Office confirmed a 15-year-old lad was arrested astatine the country with a “9mm Glock-type firearm”. Witnesses had besides described seeing a young assailant unfastened occurrence from down Uribe earlier being subdued by bodyguards and civilians.

The fishy remains successful custody with investigations nether mode to find if determination were immoderate accomplices.

What was the motive down the shooting?

No motive has been established, and authorities said determination was nary circumstantial menace made against the person earlier the incident.

But the state is location to respective equipped groups, almighty cartels and has a agelong past of governmental violence.

In the 1980s and 1990s, astatine slightest 5 statesmanlike candidates were assassinated by cause cartels, paramilitaries oregon governmental opponents.

One specified lawsuit was the assassination of Luis Carlos Galan successful 1989. Galan was a starring statesmanlike campaigner known for his beardown anticorruption stance and absorption to cause trafficking. He was wide expected to triumph the presidency the pursuing year.

A 2016 statement aimed to bring long-lasting bid to the state by disarming rebels from the left-wing Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.

When is the adjacent statesmanlike predetermination successful Colombia?

Colombia’s adjacent statesmanlike predetermination is scheduled for May, successful which existent leftist President Gustavo Petro is ineligible to tally owed to word limits. A run-off volition beryllium held if needed.

Uribe, who is simply a right-wing professional of Petro, announced his volition to tally for president successful March.

What are the reactions?

The onslaught drew beardown reactions from some section and planetary leaders.

Petro pledged an investigation.

“What matters astir contiguous is that each Colombians absorption with the vigor of our hearts, with our volition to unrecorded … connected ensuring that Dr Miguel Uribe stays alive.”

In an earlier statement, Petro condemned the unit arsenic “an onslaught not lone against his person, but besides against democracy, state of thought, and the morganatic workout of authorities successful Colombia”.

“Respect life, that’s the reddish line. … My solidarity [is] with the Uribe household and the Turbay family. I don’t cognize however to easiness their pain,” helium posted connected X.

Defence Minister Pedro Sanchez mobilised subject and quality resources and announced a reward of 3 cardinal Colombian pesos ($730,000) for accusation astir the shooting.

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a statement saying the US condemns the onslaught “in the strongest imaginable terms” and considers it a “direct menace to democracy”. He besides called connected Petro to “dial backmost the inflammatory rhetoric” and support officials.

Leaders crossed Latin America besides condemned the attack.

Chilean President Gabriel Boric said, “There is nary country oregon justification for unit successful a democracy,” portion Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa denounced “all forms of unit and intolerance”. Both expressed solidarity with Uribe’s family.