Latest news with #AlvaroUribe
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Colombia presidential hopeful 'critical' after shooting
Colombian presidential candidate Miguel Uribe, who was shot in the head while campaigning in Bogota earlier this month, was in an "extremely critical" condition, doctors warned Monday. Uribe, a 39-year-old conservative senator, was shot twice in the head and once in the leg by a 15-year-old suspected hitman while giving a speech on June 7. He has been in hospital since the attack fighting for his life. After an emergency operation to stop internal bleeding early on Monday, doctors said his condition had worsened. "He is out of surgery and his condition is extremely critical," said medic Adolfo Llinas Volpe. He was said to be suffering from "persistent cerebral edema and intercerebral bleeding that is difficult to control." Uribe's wife Maria Claudia Tarazona called for Colombians to join in prayer for her husband. "I have to tell you that he is fighting the most difficult battle we have had to date" she said outside the hospital. "Today is crucial, and we need all your prayers, your pleas, your words of love." Uribe, a member of the Democratic Center party of former right-wing president Alvaro Uribe (no relation), announced his intention to run in the May 2026 presidential election last October. His shooting has kindled fears that Colombia may return to the violence of the 1980s and 1990s, when political assassinations and bombings were commonplace. He is the son of Diana Turbay, a famed journalist who was killed after being kidnapped by Pablo Escobar's Medellin Cartel, and grandson of Julio Cesar Turbay, who led Colombia from 1978 to 1982. On Sunday thousands of Colombians marched in major cities to voice their anger at the attack and demand peace. arb/md
Reuters
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Colombian senator Uribe remains in critical condition after shooting
BOGOTA, June 10 (Reuters) - Colombian Senator Miguel Uribe, a potential presidential contender, remains in critical condition but is stable after being shot in Bogota on Saturday, the hospital treating him said on Tuesday. Uribe, 39, is a member of the opposition right-wing Democratic Center party and was shot in the head as he was addressing a campaign event in a public park in the capital. "We continue to take the necessary actions to mitigate the impact of the injuries," the Santa Fe Foundation hospital added in a statement, detailing that the senator remains in the ICU. The shooting, which was captured on video, has shaken Colombia, evoking the political violence of previous decades. Leftist President Gustavo Petro, who has vowed to bring peace to the country's conflict, said on Sunday he had ordered additional security for opposition leaders in response to more threats. He said that former president Alvaro Uribe, and right-wing politicians Maria Fernanda Cabal, Abelardo de la Espriella and Victoria Eugenia Davila will receive additional security immediately.
CBS News
09-06-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Colombian presidential candidate recovering from surgery after assassination attempt
Colombian Sen. Miguel Uribe Turbay, a possible right-wing candidate in the country's presidential election next year, is recovering after successfully undergoing surgery following an assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Bogota. The 39-year-old Uribe was speaking to supporters in the capital city when a gunman shot him twice in the head and once in the knee. He was airlifted to a hospital in critical condition and underwent a "neurosurgical" and "peripheral vascular procedure," the Santa Fe Clinic in Bogota told AFP. He "overcame the first surgical procedure," Bogota Mayor Carlos Fernando Galan told local media. Uribe's wife, in an audio recording shared with the media, said her husband "came out well from the surgery." "He fought the first battle and fought it well. He is fighting for his life," she is heard saying. FILE --- Miguel Uribe Turbay attends the strategic dialogue Rethinking Cities for Competitiveness: Smart and Sustainable Cities at the 2019 Concordia Americas Summit in Bogota, Colombia, on May 14, Concordia Summit The attack took place in a park in the Fontibon neighborhood when armed assailants shot him from behind, said the right-wing Democratic Center, which was the party of former President Álvaro Uribe. The men are not related. The Attorney General's Office, which is investigating the shooting, said a 15-year-old boy was arrested at the scene with a firearm. Two others – a man and a woman – were also wounded in the shooting. "Our hearts are broken, Colombia hurts," Carolina Gomez, a 41-year-old businesswoman, told AFP. After the shooting, Uribe's conservative Democratic Center party released a statement calling it "an unacceptable act of violence." Colombia's government said it was offering a reward for the capture of all those responsible. "Respect life, that's the red line," President Gustavo Petro said in a message posted on his X account. Shortly after making the post, Petro canceled a planned trip to France "due to the seriousness of the events," according to a presidential statement. Relatives and friends of Senator Miguel Uribe Turbay wait to receive news about the state of his health after being shot and wounded in Bogota early on June 8, 2025. RAUL ARBOLEDA/AFP via Getty Images In a statement Saturday night, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. "condemns in the strongest possible terms the attempted assassination of Senator Miguel Uribe." Rubio called the shooting "a direct threat to democracy and the result of the violent leftist rhetoric coming from the highest levels of the Colombian government. Having seen firsthand Colombia's progress over the past few decades to consolidate security and democracy, it can't afford to go back to dark days of political violence. President Petro needs to dial back the inflammatory rhetoric and protect Colombian officials." Uribe Turbay is the son of a journalist who was kidnapped and killed in 1991 during one of the country's most violent periods. Colombia will hold a presidential election on May 31, 2026, marking the end of the current term of Petro, Colombia's first leftist president. The senator announced his presidential bid in March. People gather to pray outside the Fundacion Santa Fe clinic, where Colombian presidential candidate Miguel Uribe is hospitalized after being shot in Bogota on June 8, 2025. ALEJANDRO MARTINEZ/AFP via Getty Images Colombian police chief Gen. Carlos Triana said that at the time of the attack, Uribe Turbay was accompanied by Councilman Andrés Barrios and 20 other people. A minor who allegedly participated in the attack was apprehended at the scene and was being treated for a leg injury, he said. "I have ordered the Colombian military and police forces and intelligence agencies to deploy all their capabilities to urgently clarify the facts," said Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez. Reactions poured in from around Latin America, with Chilean President Gabriel Boric saying, "There is no room or justification for violence in a democracy." Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa said, "We condemn all forms of violence and intolerance." Both presidents offered solidarity to the senator's family. In Colombia, former President Uribe said, "They attacked the hope of the country, a great husband, father, son, brother, a great colleague." contributed to this report.
Asharq Al-Awsat
08-06-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Colombia's Potential Presidential Contender Shot, Suspect Arrested
Colombian Senator Miguel Uribe, a potential presidential contender, was shot in Bogota on Saturday, according to the government and his party, as his wife said he was fighting for his life in hospital. The 39-year-old senator, who was shot during a campaign event as part of his run for the presidency in 2026, is a member of the opposition conservative Democratic Center party founded by former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe. The two men are not related. According to a party statement condemning the attack, the senator was hosting a campaign event in a public park in the Fontibon neighborhood in the capital on Saturday when "armed subjects shot him from behind,' Reuters reported. The party described the attack as serious, but did not disclose further details on Uribe's condition. Videos on social media showed a man, identified as Uribe, being tended to after the shooting. He appeared to be bleeding from his head. Uribe's wife Maria Claudia Tarazona wrote on her husband's account on X that he was "fighting for his life." Colombia's Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez said a suspect had been arrested in the shooting and that authorities were investigating whether others were involved. Sanchez said he had visited the hospital where Uribe was being treated. The government is offering some $730,000 as a reward for information in the case. Colombia's presidency issued a statement saying the government "categorically and forcefully" rejected the violent attack, and called for a thorough investigation into the events that took place. Leftist President Gustavo Petro sympathized with the senator's family in a message on X saying, "I don't know how to ease your pain. It is the pain of a mother lost, and of a homeland." Petro later said in a speech on Saturday night that the person arrested was a minor and that the investigation would focus on finding who had ordered the attack. "For now there is nothing more than hypothesis," Petro said, adding that failures in security protocols would also be looked into.
Irish Times
08-06-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Colombia presidential hopeful Miguel Uribe shot at rally in Bogotá
Colombian senator Miguel Uribe, a potential presidential contender, was shot in Bogotá on Saturday, and his wife said he was fighting for his life in hospital. The senator (39), who was shot during a campaign event as part of his run for the presidency in 2026, is a member of the opposition conservative Democratic Center party founded by former Colombian president Alvaro Uribe. The two men are not related. According to a party statement condemning the attack, the senator was hosting a campaign event in a public park in the Fontibon neighbourhood in the capital on Saturday when 'armed subjects shot him from behind'. The party described the attack as serious, but did not disclose further details on Mr Uribe's condition. Videos on social media showed a man, identified as Mr Uribe, being tended to after the shooting. He appeared to be bleeding from his head. READ MORE His wife Maria Claudia Tarazona wrote on her husband's account on X that he was 'fighting for his life'. Colombia's defence minister Pedro Sánchez said a suspect had been arrested in the shooting and that authorities were investigating whether others were involved. Mr Sanchez said he had visited the hospital where Uribe was being treated. The government is offering some $730,000 as a reward for information in the case. Colombia's presidency issued a statement saying the government 'categorically and forcefully' rejected the violent attack, and called for a thorough investigation into the events that took place. Leftist president Gustavo Petro sympathised with the senator's family in a message on X saying, 'I don't know how to ease your pain. It is the pain of a mother lost, and of a homeland.' Mr Petro later said in a speech on Saturday night that the person arrested was a minor and that the investigation would focus on finding who had ordered the attack. 'For now there is nothing more than hypothesis,' Mr Petro said, adding that failures in security protocols would also be looked into. US secretary of state Marco Rubio said in a statement that the US 'condemns in the strongest possible terms the attempted assassination' of Mr Uribe, blaming Mr Petro's 'inflammatory rhetoric' for the violence. Mr Uribe, who is not yet an official presidential candidate for his party, is from a prominent family in Colombia. His father was a businessman and union leader. His mother, journalist Diana Turbay, was kidnapped in 1990 by an armed group under the command of the late cartel leader Pablo Escobar. She was killed during a rescue operation in 1991. Colombia has for decades been embroiled in a conflict between leftist rebels, criminal groups descended from right-wing paramilitaries, and the government. – Reuters
