Colombia’s Senator Miguel Uribe Undergoes Surgery after Shooting Attack

Colombian Senator Miguel Uribe, a possible candidate for the 2026 presidential election, was shot and injured during a campaign event in Bogota on Saturday.

On Sunday, Mayor Carlos Fernando Galan said that the 39-year-old “overcame the first surgical intervention” and is now in “the critical hours” of recovery.

Uribe, who belongs to the opposition Democratic Centre party, was shot in the back by “armed subjects.”

This happened while he was speaking at a public park in the Fontibon neighbourhood. The party described the shooting as “an unacceptable act of violence.”

Following the incident, Uribe was taken to the Santa Fe Foundation hospital. According to a medical report, he was in critical condition and needed a “neurosurgical and peripheral vascular procedure.”

His wife, Maria Claudia Tarazona, posted on X that he was “fighting for his life.” Meanwhile, videos on social media showed Uribe bleeding from the head as bystanders helped him.

The Attorney General’s Office confirmed that Uribe sustained two gunshot wounds. Two others were also injured.

Moreover, a 15-year-old boy was arrested at the scene with a firearm. In response, the government is offering a $730,000 reward for any useful information.

President Gustavo Petro expressed sympathy on X. He stated, “Respect life, that’s the red line… My solidarity [is] with the Uribe family and the Turbay family. I don’t know how to ease their pain.”

Later, in a speech on Saturday night, Petro said the investigation would aim to find who ordered the attack. He added that any security lapses would also be examined.

Global Reactions

Reactions poured in from across the world. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the shooting and blamed Petro’s “inflammatory rhetoric.”

Similarly, Chilean President Gabriel Boric and Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa also condemned the violence. Both expressed support for Uribe’s family.

Former President Alvaro Uribe commented, “They attacked the hope of the country, a great husband, father, son, brother, a great colleague.”

Miguel Uribe comes from a prominent Colombian family. His mother, journalist Diana Turbay, was kidnapped by Pablo Escobar’s group in 1990. Tragically, she was killed during a rescue mission in 1991.