A Colombian presidential candidate, Miguel Uribe Turbay, was shot three times, including twice in the head, during a campaign rally in Bogota on Saturday, sending shockwaves through the nation’s political landscape.

The 39-year-old was addressing supporters in a park when the attack occurred. Local authorities apprehended a 15-year-old suspect at the scene, according to Colombian media reports. 

Uribe, a member of the opposition Centro Democratico party, was struck in the knee and head, as reported by AFP, and was airlifted to Sante Fe clinic, where he remains in critical condition.

Maria Claudia Tarazona, Uribe’s wife, urged Colombians to pray for his recovery. “Miguel is battling for his life,” she said. “We ask for God’s guidance for the doctors treating him.” Supporters have gathered outside the clinic, holding a vigil for the candidate.

The Centro Democratico party denounced the shooting as a grave threat to “democracy and freedom in Colombia.” President Gustavo Petro’s administration issued a strong condemnation, calling the attack “an assault not only on Uribe but on the democratic process itself.” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed this sentiment, describing the incident as a “direct attack on democracy.”

Cellphone footage circulating online captured the chilling moment of the shooting, showing Uribe mid-speech as gunfire erupted, causing the crowd to scatter in panic.

Uribe, who declared his candidacy for the 2026 presidential election in October, hails from a prominent political family with ties to Colombia’s Liberal Party. His father was a notable union leader and businessman, while his mother, journalist Diana Turbay, was killed in 1991 during a botched rescue operation after being kidnapped by Pablo Escobar’s Medellin cartel.

Source: BBC

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