Colombia election hopeful shot dead in June rally
Colombia mourns the death of former senator Miguel Uribe
Six months after a violent attack at a Bogotá rally, the 39‑year‑old conservative senator has died.
Background of the tragedy
- A headshot and a leg wound left Uribe fighting a new brain hemorrhage on Saturday.
- His bodyguards captured the alleged shooter, a 15‑year‑old boy on the scene.
- Police arrested a mastermind, Jose Arteaga Hernandez, alias “El Costeno,” and linked the violence to a dissident faction of the erstwhile FARC.
- Uribe, a grandson of former president Julio Cesar Turbay, had been a leading candidate for the 2026 presidential election.
The national response
Vice President Francia Marquez addressed the country on social media, saying:
“Violence cannot continue to mark our destiny.”
She added that “democracy is built with respect and dialogue, not with bullets or blood.”
Uribe’s political legacy
- He rose to the Bogotá city council at 26, became its youngest chairperson, and served as the mayor’s right‑hand man.
- In 2019 he ran unsuccessfully for Bogotá mayor, but was elected a senator three years later, receiving the most votes nationwide.
- Affiliated with the Democratic Center party founded by former president Álvaro Uribe, he positioned himself against President Gustavo Petro’s left‑wing policies.
Personal details
Uribe left behind a young son and three teenage daughters, whom he had adopted as his own.
International viewpoint
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a frequent critic of President Petro’s administration, demanded justice:
“The United States stands in solidarity with his family, the Colombian people, both in mourning and demanding justice for those responsible.”
Uribe’s death, a painful reminder of Colombia’s violent past, calls for renewed commitment to dialogue and respect as the nation heads toward the 2026 election.
