Miguel Uribe, the 39-year-old conservative presidential candidate, was in serious condition as of Tuesday after being shot multiple times. He was shot on Saturday and is still fighting for his life. The most likely candidate, while he was campaigning in western Bogotá, is that a youth came close and fired directly on him. The total number of shots that the attacker fired was at least eight. Officials say that Uribe was shot two times in the head and once in the leg during the attack.
At the time of the shooting, Uribe had two government-provided bodyguards—one of whom was wounded during the shooting—at his disposal, according to his lawyer, Víctor Mosquera. Despite this protection, Uribe was the target of an assassination attempt. This attack is especially jarring, underscoring the violent threat to politics in Colombia today. The motive for the attack has not been made public, with speculation ongoing among officials and the public.
Uribe has been a fierce critic of President Gustavo Petro’s security strategy. This strategy is intended to bring an end to decades of armed struggle in the island nation. He never stopped advocating for more personal security in his public addresses. At one point in the past, he even asked for additional bodyguards to keep him safe.
His wife, Maria Claudia Tarazona, shared her pain outside the hospital where he was being treated.
“No family in Colombia should be going through this.” – Maria Claudia Tarazona
Uribe’s father, Miguel Uribe Londono, spoke to the media, thanking the “millions of Colombians and people around the world for their prayers” during this difficult time.
“There is no name for this – it’s not pain, it’s not horror, it’s not sadness.” – Maria Claudia Tarazona
Colombian Interior Minister Armando Benedetti suggested a potential link between Uribe’s shooting and the increasing involvement of rebel groups in drug trafficking as a means to finance their activities. This alarming statement is indicative of larger fears around the increasing intersection of organized crime with political violence in Colombia.
Even President Gustavo Petro condemned the raid. Immediately after the assassination attempt on Uribe, he proposed that the attack had been carried out by a “global crime syndicate.” Yet, he failed to note any details, evidence, or even examples of this alleged claim.
The accused gunman, a 15-year-old boy, was said to have made clear his reasons for the shooting were monetary.
As Miguel Uribe remains hospitalized and in critical condition, the nation watches closely, grappling with the implications of this violent act. His political party’s hopes for his candidacy remain further in doubt as he continues to battle for survival with these life-changing wounds.
“I did it for the money, for my family.” – The alleged attacker
As Miguel Uribe remains hospitalized and in critical condition, the nation watches closely, grappling with the implications of this violent act. His candidacy for his political party remains uncertain as he fights to recover from these life-threatening injuries.
