Colombia lays to rest slain presidential hopeful

Uribe’s Widow Mourns the Late Senator in Bogotá

Maria Claudia Tarazona spoke tearfully after a packed cathedral funeral service, urging the nation to confront its legacy of political violence.

Uribe’s Fatal Shooting

The 39‑year‑old conservative senator was shot in June while campaigning in Bogotá and succumbed to his injuries this week.

“Our country is going through the darkest, saddest, and most painful days,” Tarazona declared.

Police Blame Left‑Wing Guerrillas

Authorities suspect a plot by left‑wing guerrillas who rejected the 2016 peace accords. Six suspects have been arrested.

A Shocking Return to Violence

Uribe’s murder echoes a period when cartels and armed groups terrorized Colombia during the 1980s and 1990s.

Four presidential candidates were assassinated during that era.

Uribe’s mother, Diana Turbay, a journalist, was killed in a 1991 police operation aimed at freeing her from Pablo Escobar’s Medellin cartel.

Family Reflections

• Uribe’s father, Miguel Uribe Londono, recalled the day 34 years ago when his mother was killed, saying, “With all the pain in my soul, I had to tell a little boy barely four years old the horrendous news of his mother’s murder.”
• He added, “In this same holy cathedral, I carried Miguel in one arm and the coffin of his mother, Diana, in the other.”
• He continued, “Today, 34 years later, this senseless violence also takes from me that same little boy.”

The Widow’s Vow

Tarazona promised that Uribe’s death at the hands of a suspected 15‑year‑old hitman would not be in vain.

“Miguel, I will love you every day of my life until my time comes to meet you in heaven,” she said.

She added, “I promise to give Alejandro and the girls a life full of love and happiness, without hatred and without resentment.”

Political Context

Colombia will hold elections in 2026 to replace incumbent leftist leader Gustavo Petro, who is constitutionally barred from running again.

President Petro, a former guerrilla, chose not to attend the funeral at the family’s request.

He posted, “We’re not going, not because we didn’t want to. We simply respect the family and we avoid the funeral of Senator Miguel Uribe from being taken over by supporters of hate.”

Some mourners may have booed the president, who has taken a conciliatory approach to armed groups. That stance has been strongly criticized by the right wing of Colombian politics.

Former Presidents Attended

• Juan Manuel Santos
• Ernesto Samper
• Cesar Gaviria