Colombian presidential hopeful 'fighting for his life' after rally shooting, says wife

The Associated Press

· Posted: Jun 08, 2025 6:09 AM EDT | Last Updated: 6 hours ago

Colombian Sen. Miguel Uribe Turbay — a imaginable campaigner successful the country's statesmanlike predetermination adjacent twelvemonth — was changeable and wounded astatine a run rally successful Bogota connected Saturday, authorities said.

His blimpish Democratic Centre enactment released a connection calling it "an unacceptable enactment of violence."

The onslaught took spot successful a parkland successful the Fontibon neighbourhood erstwhile equipped assailants changeable him from behind, said the right-wing Democratic Centre, which was the enactment of erstwhile President Alvaro Uribe. The men are not related.

Images circulating connected societal media showed Uribe Turbay, 39, covered successful humor being held by respective people. A aesculapian study from the Santa Fe Foundation infirmary said the legislator was admitted successful captious information and is undergoing a "neurosurgical and peripheral vascular procedure."

"Miguel is warring for his life," his wife, María Claudia Tarazona, wrote connected the senator's X account, urging Colombians to commune for him.

The lawyer general's office, which is investigating the shooting, said the legislator received 2 gunshot wounds successful the attack, which wounded 2 different people. The connection from the bureau said a 15-year-old lad was arrested astatine the country with a firearm.

Colombia's authorities said it was offering a reward for the seizure of each those responsible.

"Respect life, that's the reddish line," President Gustavo Petro said successful a connection posted connected his X account.

Shortly aft making the post, Petro cancelled a planned travel to France "due to the seriousness of the events," according to a statesmanlike statement.

Late Saturday night, aft starring an bonzer Security Council session, Colombia's archetypal leftist president promised "complete transparency" successful the probe and to find the intelligence authors of the attack. He besides promised an probe into immoderate failures by the senator's bodyguards.

Presidential predetermination to beryllium held successful May 2026

Uribe Turbay is the lad of a writer who was kidnapped and killed successful 1991 during 1 of the country's astir convulsive periods.

Colombia volition clasp a statesmanlike predetermination connected May 31, 2026, marking the extremity of Petro's term.

The legislator announced his statesmanlike bid successful March.

Colombian constabulary main Gen. Carlos Triana said that astatine the clip of the onslaught Uribe Turbay was accompanied by Coun. Andrés Barrios and 20 different people.

A insignificant who allegedly participated successful the onslaught was apprehended astatine the country and was being treated for a limb injury, helium said.

"I person ordered the Colombian subject and constabulary forces and quality agencies to deploy each their capabilities to urgently clarify the facts," said Defence Minister Pedro Sánchez.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said connected X that the "United State condemns successful the strongest imaginable presumption the attempted assassination of Sen. Miguel Uribe," and helium urged President Petro "to dial backmost the inflammatory rhetoric and support Colombian officials."

"This is simply a nonstop menace to ideology and the effect of the convulsive leftist rhetoric coming from the highest levels of the Colombian government," Rubio said.

Reactions poured successful from astir Latin America, with Chilean President Gabriel Boric saying "there is nary country oregon justification for unit successful a democracy," and Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa saying "we condemn each forms of unit and intolerance."

Both presidents offered solidarity to the senator's family. In Colombia, erstwhile President Uribe said "they attacked the anticipation of the country, a large husband, father, son, brother, a large colleague."