Colombian Senator in Critical Condition After Shooting
Doctors treating Colombian presidential hopeful Miguel Uribe Turbay say he remains in extremely critical condition after sustaining a gunshot wound to the head during a campaign event 10 days ago.
According to a statement from Santa Fe Hospital in Bogotá, Uribe underwent emergency brain surgery on Monday to address a severe cerebral hemorrhage.
His wife, María Claudia Tarazona, described the hours following the operation as “decisive,” urging Colombians to join her in prayer and support.
“Miguel continues to fight for his life like never before,” she said emotionally outside the hospital. “It’s love and faith that are keeping him alive.”
The 39-year-old conservative senator, who was campaigning for the 2026 presidential nomination, was shot three times while delivering a speech in a middle-class neighborhood of Bogotá on June 7.
The incident, which occurred in broad daylight, has deeply shaken the nation.
Authorities quickly arrested a 15-year-old suspect, who was seen fleeing the scene. The teenager has since been charged with attempted murder and has pleaded not guilty.
Two other suspects — a man alleged to have supplied the firearm and a woman accused of providing logistical support — have also been taken into custody.
Investigators are still working to determine the motive behind the attack and whether others were involved in planning it.
The shooting has revived painful memories of Colombia’s violent political history, particularly the wave of assassinations and kidnappings during the 1980s and 1990s.
Notably, Uribe’s mother, Diana Turbay, a prominent journalist, was kidnapped in 1990 by the notorious drug cartel-linked group Los Extraditables. She died during a failed rescue attempt after five months in captivity.
Uribe often cited his mother’s death as a driving force behind his political ambitions, saying it inspired his commitment to justice and national service.
In response to the attack, tens of thousands of Colombians gathered for silent protests across the country on Sunday, condemning political violence and calling for peace.
The nation now watches anxiously as Uribe clings to life — a stark reminder of the fragile line between democracy and violence in Colombia’s political landscape.
Colombian Senator in Critical Condition After Shooting