Colombian presidential hopeful Miguel Uribe has passed away two months after he was critically wounded in a shooting at a campaign event, his family confirmed on Monday. The attack has reopened fears about the resurgence of political violence in Colombia.
Uribe, a 39-year-old conservative senator and grandson of former president Julio Cesar Turbay (1978-1982), was shot in the head and leg on June 7 during a rally in Bogota. Authorities say the suspected gunman was a 15-year-old hitman. Despite signs of medical improvement in recent weeks, doctors announced on Saturday that Uribe suffered a new brain hemorrhage.
At his wake on Monday, his widow Maria Claudia Tarazona expressed heartbreak, calling the attack “the most horrific act of violence” and thanked the medical team for their efforts. Uribe’s body was laid in state at the Colombian Congress in Bogota, where it will remain open for public viewing until Wednesday.
Six suspects have been arrested in connection with the attack, including the alleged teenage shooter, who was apprehended by Uribe’s bodyguards at the scene. Police later arrested an alleged mastermind behind the assassination plot, identified as Elder Jose Arteaga Hernandez, alias “El Costeno.” Investigators suspect a dissident faction of the former FARC guerrilla group orchestrated the attack.
The shooting has reignited painful memories for Colombia, a country long plagued by political violence. Uribe’s own mother, journalist Diana Turbay, was killed in a failed 1991 rescue attempt after being kidnapped by Pablo Escobar’s Medellin cartel. During the violent era of the 1980s and 1990s, four presidential candidates were assassinated amid Escobar’s campaign of terror involving bombings and intimidation.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro, a left-wing leader and Uribe’s political rival, condemned the violence on social media, emphasizing the government’s commitment to fighting crime regardless of ideology and prioritizing citizen safety.
Vice President Francia Marquez also lamented the loss, calling it a “sad day” for the nation and urging that “violence cannot continue to mark our destiny.” She stressed that democracy is built on dialogue and respect, not bloodshed.
Uribe had been a vocal critic of Petro’s “total peace” strategy, which seeks to engage armed groups and drug traffickers in dialogue. He announced last October his intention to run for president in the May 2026 election.
Starting his political career at 26 as a member of Bogota’s city council, Uribe became the youngest council chairperson and later a key ally to the city mayor. After an unsuccessful 2019 mayoral run, he was elected to the Senate in 2022, receiving the highest number of votes nationwide. He represented the conservative Democratic Center party, founded by former president Alvaro Uribe (no relation).
Former president Uribe mourned his death on social media, saying: “Evil destroys everything, they killed hope. May Miguel’s struggle be a light that guides Colombia on the right path.”
The political climate in Colombia has grown increasingly tense, with President Petro accused of heightening divisions by calling right-wing opponents “Nazis.” Following Uribe’s death, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called for justice and expressed solidarity with Uribe’s family and the Colombian people.
Miguel Uribe leaves behind his wife and four children—one son and three daughters.
