A right-wing Colombian presidential candidate who was shot during a campaign event in Bogota was successfully for surgery, the city mayor said on Sunday. Senator Miguel Uribe, 39, spoke with supporters in the capital when a shooter hit him with two heads in his head and one in the knee before being detained. A security guard was able to contain the suspect of the attack, a minor believed to be 15 years old.
Uribe was taken by helicopter to the hospital in “critical state” and underwent a “neurosurgical procedure” and a “peripheral vascular procedure,” the Santa Fe clinic in Bogota confirmed. He “surpassed the first surgical procedure,” Bogota mayor Carlos Fernando Galán told the press, adding that the senator had entered the “critical hours” of the recovery.
His wife, in a press -shared audio, said “he went well from surgery.” “He has won the first battle and won well. He is fighting for life,” it is possible to hear her.
Images from the attacking site showed fallen Uribe over the hood of a blood-covered white car while a group of men tried to contain it and stop the bleeding. The suspect was injured during the confrontation and was receiving care, police director Carlos Fernando Triana said. Two other people – a man and a woman – were also injured, and a Glock firearm was seized.
“Our hearts are broken, Colombia hurts,” Carolina Gómez, a 41 -year -old businesswoman, told AFP, while praying with candles for Uribe’s health.
‘Day of pain’
The motivation of the attack is not yet publicly known. Colombian Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez promised to use all the security forces resources and offered a reward of about $ 725,000 for information about those responsible for the attack.
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In a nation’s video speech, published on social networks, President Gustavo Petro also promised investigations to find the authors of what he called “day of pain.”
“What matters most today is that all Colombians focus the energy of our hearts, our desire to live… to ensure that Dr. Miguel Uribe remains alive.”
In a previous statement, Petro condemned violence as “an attack not only against his person, but also against democracy, freedom of thought and the legitimate exercise of politics in Colombia.”
The attack was convicted throughout the political spectrum and also abroad. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has classified the attack as “a direct threat to democracy.” However, Rubio also blamed Petro, stating that the attack was “a result of violent left rhetoric from the highest levels of the Colombian government.”
“President Petro needs to moderate inflamed rhetoric and protect Colombian employees,” said the main US diplomat.
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Uribe, a strong critic of Petro, is a member of the Democratic Center Party, which announced last October his intention to run for presidential elections of 2026. The authorities reported that there was no specific threat against the politician before the incident. Like many public figures in Colombia, Uribe had nearby personal protection. The country houses several armed guerrilla groups, powerful cartels and has a long history of political violence.
Shots ‘behind the back’
Uribe is the son of Diana Turbay, a famous Colombian journalist who was killed after being kidnapped by Pablo Escobar’s Medellin cartel. One of his grandparents was President Julio César Turbay, who ruled the country between 1978 and 1982.
Supporters gathered outside the hospital in Bogota, lighting candles and holding crucifixes as they prayed for their recovery. The Uribe party stated in a statement on Saturday that an “armed individual” had shot the senator in the back.
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The party leader, former President Álvaro Uribe, described the attack as an attack on “a hope for the country.” Miguel Uribe – who is not a relative of Álvaro – has been a senator since 2022. Before that, he was secretary of government and councilor of Bogota. He also ran for the city hall in 2019, but lost the election.
