Candidate vying for Colombia's presidency perishes
In a shocking turn of events, Colombian presidential candidate Miguel Uribe has been tragically killed following a shooting incident on June 7 in Bogota. The suspected shooter was a 15-year-old hitman, according to reports.
The assassination has sent ripples across the nation, reopening old wounds in a country that has been racked by violence for decades. Uribe's death is reminiscent of the worst phase of violence in the 1980s and 1990s, during which four presidential candidates were assassinated.
Former Colombian president Alvaro Uribe, the father of the slain candidate, wrote on social media, "Evil destroys everything, they killed hope. May Miguel's struggle be a light that illuminates Colombia's rightful path."
Six suspects linked to the attack have been arrested, including the alleged shooter and an alleged mastermind named Elder Jose Arteaga Hernandez, alias "El Costeno."
Uribe's body will remain at the National Capitol in Bogota for public viewing until today. His widow, Maria Claudia Tarazona, thanked his medical team for their efforts at his wake.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro wrote on social media that the government's role is to "repudiate crime ... regardless of ideology" and assured the safety of Colombians is his top priority. Uribe fiercely criticized Petro's strategy of "total peace," based on engaging all of Colombia's remaining armed groups, including drug traffickers, in dialogue.
The attack on Uribe is suspected to be orchestrated by a dissident wing of the defunct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrilla group. Uribe had announced in October that he would seek to succeed the term-limited Petro in the election in May next year.
The vice president of Colombia, Francia Marquez, wrote on social media, "Democracy is not built with bullets or blood, it is built with respect, with dialogue."
Despite signs of progress in the past few weeks, Uribe had a new brain hemorrhage on Saturday. He was shot in the head and leg during the attack. Uribe's mother, journalist Diana Turbay, was killed in a police operation in 1991.
This tragic event serves as a stark reminder of the challenges that Colombia still faces in its pursuit of peace and democracy.
War-and-conflicts continue to plague Colombia, as the assassination of presidential candidate Miguel Uribe rekindles memories of the violent 1980s and 1990s. Politics and general news outlets discuss the attack suspected to be orchestrated by a dissident wing of the defunct FARC guerrilla group, with crime-and-justice reports focusing on the six arrests made, including the alleged shooter and mastermind.
