Colombian Presidential Hopeful Shot at Bogota Campaign Rally

Senator Miguel Uribe Turbay, a presidential hopeful from Colombia’s right-wing Democratic Center party, was shot and critically wounded during a campaign rally in Bogota on Saturday, authorities confirmed.

The attack occurred in the Fontibon neighborhood, where assailants opened fire from behind as Uribe addressed supporters in a park. His party condemned the shooting as “an unacceptable act of violence.”

Images shared on social media showed the 39-year-old senator covered in blood as bystanders rushed to help. He was transported to Santa Fe Foundation hospital and is undergoing emergency neurosurgical and vascular procedures.

“Miguel is fighting for his life,” his wife María Claudia Tarazona posted on his official X account, urging prayers from the public.

The Attorney General’s Office reported that Uribe suffered two gunshot wounds. A 15-year-old boy was arrested at the scene with a firearm and is receiving treatment for a leg injury. Two others were also injured in the attack.

President Gustavo Petro denounced the incident on X, saying, “Respect for life is the red line.” He canceled a planned trip to France due to the attack’s severity and later chaired an emergency Security Council meeting, promising full transparency in the investigation.

Petro vowed to identify those who orchestrated the shooting and ordered a review of any lapses by Uribe’s security detail.

Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez said the military, police, and intelligence services have been mobilized to “urgently clarify the facts.”

Uribe Turbay, who launched his presidential campaign in March, is the son of journalist Diana Turbay, kidnapped and killed in 1991 during Colombia’s violent conflict era. The presidential election is set for May 31, 2026, as Petro’s term ends.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the attack, calling it “a direct threat to democracy” and criticized what he described as “violent leftist rhetoric” in Colombia’s political climate. He urged Petro to “dial back the inflammatory rhetoric.”

Solidarity messages came from Latin American leaders. Chile’s President Gabriel Boric stressed that “there is no justification for violence in a democracy,” while Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa expressed firm condemnation of the attack.

Former President Álvaro Uribe, founder of the Democratic Center party, described the senator as “the hope of the country, a great husband, father, son, and colleague.”