Colombian Senator Miguel Uribe Turbay critically injured in shooting during political event

BOGOTA – Colombian Senator Miguel Uribe Turbay, a conservative presidential candidate, remained in critical condition on Sunday after undergoing surgery for a gunshot wound inflicted at a political rally the previous day, according to the mayor of Bogota.

Mayor Carlos Galán visited the Fundación Santa Fe clinic to express solidarity with the family of the 39-year-old senator.

“He made it through the surgery; these are crucial hours for his survival,” stated Galán on Sunday morning, following updates from the clinic’s medical team.

The hospital announced Sunday that Uribe Turbay was in intensive care after receiving neurosurgery and treatment for an injury on his left thigh. His condition was deemed “extremely serious,” with the prognosis still uncertain.

“Miguel continues to fight hard for his life, and I ask each of you to keep praying fervently,” Uribe Turbay’s wife, María Claudia Tarazona, said in a statement.

Former presidents Álvaro Uribe and César Gaviria visited the clinic, along with senators, city council members and other politicians, including former senator Ingrid Betancourt.

The attack took place in a park in the Fontibon neighborhood in Bogota when armed assailants shot him from behind, said the right-wing Democratic Center, which was the party of former president Uribe. The men are not related.

Images circulating on social media showed a person firing several shots at the senator from behind, apparently hitting his head before he collapsed.

The Attorney General’s Office, which is investigating the shooting, said the senator received two gunshot wounds in the attack, which also wounded two others. Their identities and conditions have not been disclosed.

The office said a 15-year-old boy was arrested at the scene with a firearm. He was injured in the leg and was recovering at another clinic, authorities said. Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez added that over 100 officers are investigating who was behind the attack.

Uribe Turbay is the political heir of his grandfather, former President Julio César Turbay who was in office from 1978-82. His mother, Diana Turbay, was a journalist who was kidnapped and killed in 1991 during a failed rescue attempt. Her death came during one of the most violent periods in the history of the South American country, then-plagued by drug cartel violence.

The senator announced his presidential bid in early March. Colombia will hold a presidential election on May 31, 2026, marking the end of President Gustavo Petro’s term. Petro, the country’s first leftist leader, is not eligible for reelection.

Outside the Fundación Santa Fe clinic, dozens of people gathered in prayer for Uribe Turbay’s recovery.

Late on Saturday, after leading an extraordinary Security Council session, Petro, Colombia’s first leftist president, promised “complete transparency” in the investigation and to find out who was behind the attack. He also promised an investigation into any failures by the senator’s bodyguards.

The president canceled a planned trip to France “due to the seriousness of the events,” according to a presidential statement.

“I hope Uribe Turbay survives — that is what I wish more than anything,” Petro said, adding that no one should seek to politically exploit the attack.

World leaders and senior officials, including from the United States, Chile, Ecuador, and the European Union, condemned the violence and expressed support for the Colombian people and Uribe Turbay’s family.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on X that the “United State condemns in the strongest possible terms the attempted assassination of Senator Miguel Uribe.” He urged Petro “to dial back the inflammatory rhetoric and protect Colombian officials.”

“This is a direct threat to democracy and the result of the violent leftist rhetoric coming from the highest levels of the Colombian government,” Rubio said.

___

Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america