Chaos in Colombia: Presidential Candidate Miguel Uribe Turbay Shot in Bogotá
Presidential contender Uribe sustains gunshot wounds in Colombia. - Presidential hopeful Uribe suffers gunshot wounds in Colombia
Uribe's wife posted on online platform X, "At this moment he is fighting for his life." According to the Santa Fe Clinic in Bogotá, he underwent emergency surgery. Initial reports suggest that the first surgery was successful.
Mayor Carlos Galán stated to journalists that a suspected shooter, a 15-year-old youth, was apprehended. The attack also injured two other people.
As Uribe was delivering a speech, shots were fired. Several men were seen attempting to hold up the bloodied politician in circulating videos. The assailant is said to have shot Uribe from behind.
Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez offered a reward of around 615,000 euros for any information leading to the clarification of the attack. President Gustavo Petro of the left-wing Colombian government condemned the attack "categorically and in the strongest terms."
In a video shared online, Petro referred to the day as a "day of pain." He emphasized the importance of all Colombians ensuring Uribe remains alive. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the incident as a "direct threat to democracy."
Uribe, a staunch critic of Petro, announced his intention to run for presidency in 2026 in October 2022. Originally from a political family, his grandfather, Julio César Turbay, served as Colombia's president from 1978 to 1982. His mother, Diana Turbay, was a renowned journalist who was kidnapped and killed in the 1980s by the Medellín Cartel's notorious drug lord, Pablo Escobar.
Uribe, currently a senator, served as a local politician in Bogotá before previously running for mayor in 2019 but losing the election. Pedro Sánchez, the head of his party, the Democratic Center, described the attack as an "attack on hope for the country."
The gunman used a 9mm pistol, purchased legally in Arizona, USA, with authorities investigating how the weapon got to Colombia.
This shooting comes at a tumultuous political time in Colombia, echoing memories of the violent past, particularly the 1990s when political violence was rampant. The incident has ignited public outcry, with hundreds gathering outside the hospital in protest and chanting for President Gustavo Petro's removal.
The shooting has raised concerns about the deteriorating security situation and ongoing challenges in controlling violence in both rural and urban areas, despite the 2016 peace agreement with the nation's largest rebel group. Meanwhile, critics call for President Petro to tone down his rhetoric against opposition leaders to alleviate political tensions.
- The shooting of Presidential Candidate Miguel Uribe Turbay in Bogotá, amidst a tumultuous political climate in Colombia, has sparked concerns about the deteriorating security situation and ongoing challenges in controlling violence, reminiscent of the violent past, particularly the 1990s.
- The attack on Miguel Uribe Turbay, a staunch critic of President Gustavo Petro, has ignited a wave of public outcry, with hundreds gathering outside the hospital in protest and calling for President Petro to tone down his rhetoric against opposition leaders to alleviate political tensions, falling under the category of general news, politics, and crime-and-justice, while also echoing War-and-Conflicts due to its implications on democracy and the political stability of the EC countries.
