Colombian Presidential Candidate Miguel Uribe Dies Two Months After Rally Shooting

Colombian presidential hopeful Miguel Uribe passed away on Monday, two months after being shot at a campaign rally, his family announced. The attack has revived fears of a return to the nation’s violent history.

Details of the Shooting and Medical Condition

The 39-year-old conservative senator — grandson of former president Julio Cesar Turbay (1978–1982) — was shot in the head and leg on 7 June at a rally in Bogotá. The alleged shooter was a suspected 15-year-old hitman.

Although Uribe’s doctors had indicated signs of improvement in recent weeks, they announced on Saturday that he had suffered a fresh brain haemorrhage.

His widow, María Claudia Tarazona, posted on Instagram:

“Rest in peace, love of my life. Thank you for a life full of love.”

She attended a state ceremony held at the Colombian Congress in Bogotá, where Uribe’s body will lie in state for public viewing until Wednesday.

Investigation and Arrests

Authorities have arrested six suspects connected to the attack, including the alleged teenage gunman, who was captured at the scene by Uribe’s bodyguards.

Following a nationwide manhunt, police apprehended the suspected mastermind, Elder José Arteaga Hernández, alias “El Costeño”.

Officials have linked the assassination to a dissident faction of the defunct FARC guerrilla group.

Historical and Political Context

Miguel Uribe was a leading candidate for the 2026 presidential election. His death has reopened painful chapters in Colombia’s history of violence.

His own mother, journalist Diana Turbay, was killed in a failed 1991 police operation intended to rescue her from Pablo Escobar’s Medellín cartel.

Four presidential candidates were assassinated during Colombia’s darkest periods of violence in the 1980s and 1990s, amid Escobar’s campaign of terror through bombings targeting Bogotá, Medellín, and other cities.

Reactions from Colombian Leaders and International Figures

Left-wing President Gustavo Petro, whom Uribe had frequently criticised, wrote on X (formerly Twitter):

“The government must repudiate crime… regardless of ideology. The safety of Colombians is my top priority.”

Vice President Francia Márquez expressed sorrow on social media:

“Today is a sad day for the country. Violence cannot continue to mark our destiny. Democracy is not built with bullets or blood; it is built with respect, with dialogue.”

Political Career and Legacy of Miguel Uribe

Uribe had vehemently opposed Petro’s “total peace” strategy, which advocates engaging Colombia’s remaining armed groups, including drug traffickers, in dialogue.

He announced in October his intention to succeed the term-limited Petro in the May 2026 presidential election.

His political career began early — elected to Bogotá’s city council at age 26, later becoming its youngest-ever chairperson and then a key aide to the mayor.

After an unsuccessful 2019 mayoral run, he was elected senator in 2022, receiving the highest number of votes nationwide. He represented the conservative Democratic Centre party, founded by former president Álvaro Uribe (no relation).

Former president Álvaro Uribe wrote on X:

“Evil destroys everything, they killed hope. May Miguel’s struggle be a light that illuminates Colombia’s rightful path.”

Rising Political Tensions

In recent months, Petro, a former left-wing guerrilla, has been accused of intensifying political divisions by labelling his right-wing opponents “Nazis.”

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a vocal critic of Petro’s government, called for justice:

“The United States stands in solidarity with his family, the Colombian people, both in mourning and demanding justice for those responsible.”

Personal Life and Survivors

Miguel Uribe leaves behind a young son and three teenage daughters from his wife, whom he had embraced as his own.

Summary Table: Key Facts on Miguel Uribe and Attack