On 7 June 2025, gunfire started ringing through the streets of Modelia, a neighborhood in Bogota. Miguel Uribe, a Colombian senator and rising star in Colombian politics, was ambushed and shot while campaigning in that region. At the time of the shooting, Columbus had been living and working in the district of Fontibon. Uribe was shot twice and is in critical condition at a nearby hospital. The attack has drawn unprecedented denunciation from across the political spectrum. It has raised serious alarm over the welfare of democracy in Colombia.
Uribe comes from a distinguished political lineage. He is the grandson of Julio César Turbay Ayala. Turbay, who was Colombia’s president from 1978 to 1982, died in 2005. His mother, Diana Turbay, was a crusading journalist. She was tragically kidnapped by drug traffickers associated with the Medellín cartel of Pablo Escobar in 1991. When Diana Turbay was killed during a rescue operation, the loss shattered Uribe and devastated his family. His grandma, Nydia Quintero de Balcázar, started the group Solidarity for Colombia. Her act shows the family’s deep and abiding dedication to social justice.
Miguel Uribe, as a senator from the right wing of Colombian politics, is a member of the Democratic Center party. He has earned a reputation for security and for seeking to expand foreign investment into Colombia. His political ideology, based in conservative values, speaks to constituents who value tradition, morality, and a desire for economic expansion over social issues.
In the days since Uribe’s shooting, leaders across Colombia and around the world have reacted. Colombian President Gustavo Petro said in a social media post that he was “deeply sorry” and offered his “solidarity” with Uribe’s family, adding,
“I don’t know how to ease your pain. It is the pain of a mother lost, and of a wounded homeland.”
As U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated in his appeals to condemn the attack in “the strongest possible terms,” it was …
“a direct affront to democracy, respect for differences, and the free exercise of politics in our country.”
The Democratic Center party issued a statement asserting that they “strongly reject this attack, which not only endangers the life of a political leader but threatens democracy and freedom in Colombia.”
“a direct threat to democracy” and criticizing “the violent leftist rhetoric coming from the highest levels of the Colombian government.”
As news of the shooting circulated, thousands of Colombians took to their social media accounts to express their indignation. Instead, they’re concerned on what political violence is doing to the country’s democratic institutions. Uribe’s attack has ignited a brutal national debate over the security of public figures in Colombia. It also points to the deeper currents roiling the nation’s political undercurrents.
As news of the shooting spreads, many Colombians are expressing their concerns regarding political violence and its implications for the nation’s democratic processes. The attack on Uribe has ignited discussions about the safety of public figures in Colombia and the broader challenges facing its political landscape.
