Who was Miguel Uribe? Colombian presidential candidate dies two months after being shot in head
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File photo of Senator Miguel Uribe Turbay Photograph: (AFP)
Uribe was a potential presidential candidate for the upcoming elections in 2026 from the right-wing opposition.
Colombian presidential candidate Miguel Uribe Turbay died on Monday (Aug 11). The 39-year-old was shot multiple times in an assassination attempt during a political rally in Bogota on June 7. Uribe was a potential presidential candidate for the upcoming elections in 2026 from the right-wing opposition. He had been receiving treatment in the hospital, but succumbed to his injuries.
Uribe’s his wife Maria Claudia Tarazona wrote on social media, “I ask God to show me the way to learn to live without you.” She added, “Rest in peace, love of my life, I will take care of our children.”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed solidarity and demanded justice for those responsible. “Deeply saddened to learn of Colombian Senator Miguel Uribe’s tragic death. The United States stands in solidarity with his family, the Colombian people, both in mourning and demanding justice for those responsible,” he wrote on X.
What happened to Miguel Uribe Turbay?
A member of the Democratic Center party, Uribe was delivering address during a campaign rally on June 7 when he shot. He was shot at three times, twice in the head. He was rushed to the hospital in critical condition and showed little response to treatment as of June 10.
The incident shocked the entire country, raising concerns over political violence in Colombia. The police have arrested four people for being involved in the shooting, including a 14-year-old boy identified as the gunman, according to The New York Times. No motive behind the attempted assassination has been disclosed yet.
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Amid the growing conflict between the leftist rebels and criminal groups descended from right-wing paramilitaries, President Gustavo Petro vowed to bring peace, but has achieved no success in negotiating with rebel groups.
Who Was Miguel Uribe Turbay?
Uribe comes from a well known political family. His grandfather Julio Cesar Turbay served as the country’s president from 1978 to 1982. His paternal grandfather, Rodrigo Uribe Echavarria, led the Liberal Party and backed Virgilio Barco’s successful presidential campaign in 1986. Uribe’s mother Diane Turbay, who was a journalist, was kidnapped by notorious narco-terrorist Pablo Escobar’s Medellin cartel. She was killed in 1991 during a rescue operation.
Known for his sharp criticism of President Gustavo Petro’s administration, Uribe became a recognised lawmaker for the the right-wing Democratic Center party. At the age of 25, Uribe was elected to Bogota’s city council, where he remained a prominent opponent of Petro. In 2022, he won a Senate seat in the legislative elections, following which he led the Senate slate for the Democratic Center party with the slogan “Colombia First”.
Last year in October, Uribe announced that he will be running in the 2026 presidential election.
