Colombian presidential hopeful Miguel Uribe dies two months after assassination attempt

Colombian presidential candidate Miguel Uribe Turbay has died two months after being shot at a campaign rally, his family confirmed Monday (Aug 11), reigniting fears of the country’s violent political past. Uribe, 39, a conservative senator and grandson of former president Julio Cesar Turbay, was shot in the head and leg on June 7 in Bogota by a suspected 15-year-old hitman. Despite signs of recovery, doctors said Saturday (Aug 9) he suffered a new brain haemorrhage. "Rest in peace, love of my life," his wife Maria Claudia Tarazona wrote on Instagram. "Thank you for a life full of love." His body will lie in state at Congress until Wednesday.

Who's behind the assassination?

Six suspects, including the alleged 15-year-old gunman whom Uribe's bodyguards detained, have been arrested, reports AFP. As per the report, police say the attack was masterminded by Elder Jose Arteaga Hernandez, alias “El Costeño”. The assassination has been linked to the dissident wing of the defunct FARC guerrilla group by the police.

The killing comes as Colombia heads toward the 2026 election, stirring memories of the 1980s-90s when four presidential candidates were assassinated during cocaine kingpin Pablo Escobar's reign of terror. Uribe's mother, journalist Diana Turbay, was also killed in a 1991 botched rescue from Escobar’s cartel.

President Gustavo Petro, Uribe's leftist rival, condemned the attack and vowed to guarantee Colombians' safety. On X, he said the government's role was to "repudiate crime... regardless of ideology" and insisted the safety of Colombians was his top priority.

"Violence cannot continue to mark our destiny"

Vice President Francia Marquez called the assassination a blow to democracy, saying, "Today is a sad day for the country." He added that "Violence cannot continue to mark our destiny. Democracy is not built with bullets or blood, it is built with respect, with dialogue."

Former president Alvaro Uribe, founder of the Democratic Center party with which Miguel took the Senate seat, condemned the killing on X. He wrote: "Evil destroys everything, they killed hope. May Miguel's struggle be a light that illuminates Colombia's rightful path."

Who was Miguel Uribe?

Miguel Uribe was a conservative senator and grandson of former president Julio Cesar Turbay. He previously served on Bogota's city council and became its youngest chair. In 2019, he became the mayor of Bogota and later won a Senate seat in 2022 with the highest vote count nationwide.

Uribe, a fierce critic of Petro's "total peace" policy that sought to engage with remaining armed groups and drug traffickers, announced his presidential bid in October. He is survived by his young son and his wife's three teenage daughters, whom he raised as his own.