Presidential Hopeful Miguel Uribe Turbay Shot at Bogotá Rally, Hospitalized in Critical Condition

Miguel Uribe Turbay: A Colombian presidential candidate has been shot three times - reportedly twice in the head - at a campaign event in the capital, Bogota.

Miguel Uribe Turbay, 39, was attacked while addressing a small crowd in a park on Saturday. Police arrested a 15-year-old suspect at the scene, local media say.

His wife, Maria Claudia Tarazona, called on the nation to pray for his survival. "Miguel is currently fighting for his life. Let us ask God to guide the hands of the doctors who are treating him," she said.

Also Read: Trump Warns of Federal Action as LA Erupts Over Immigration Raids

Uribe's Centro Democratico party condemned the attack, saying that it "endangers the life of a political leader... democracy and freedom in Colombia".

Uribe is a member of the opposition conservative Democratic Center party, founded by former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe. Images circulating on social media showed the senator covered in blood, apparently with a head wound, being held by several people.

Bogota’s Mayor Carlos Galan said Uribe was receiving emergency medical care after being shot in Fontibon district, and that “the entire hospital network” was on alert, if he needed to be transferred.

The suspected attacker has been arrested by the law enforcement authorities, the mayor added.

The Colombian government issued a statement condemning the attack, while the Colombian President Gustavo Petro expressed his solidarity with the senator’s family in a post on X, where he said “I don’t know how to ease your pain. It is the pain of a mother lost, and of a wounded homeland.”

Also Read: Meghalaya Mystery: Indore Couple Seen with 3 Men on Day of Disappearance, Reveals Local Guide

The United States' Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement that the U.S. "condemns in the strongest possible terms the attempted assassination" of Uribe, blaming Petro's "inflammatory rhetoric" for the violence.

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.

The Colombian senator, Miguel Uribe, is a well-known politician and lawyer. Born on January 28, 1986, in Bogota, Uribe is a key member of the right-wing Democratic Center party, reported Semana.

According to Reuters, Uribe’s mother, journalist Diana Turbay, was killed in 1991 during a rescue operation after being kidnapped by the Medellín cartel led by drug lord Pablo Escobar.

The 39-year-old is known for strongly opposing the current government led by President Gustavo Petro and is politically aligned with former President Álvaro Uribe Vélez, according to the the local media report.

Uribe began his political career at a young age. He served as a Bogotá City Councilor from 2012 to 2015, becoming the youngest person to hold the role. In 2014, he was elected president of the Council.

Also Read: Samantha, Ranveer Cheer ‘Queen’ Deepika Padukone as She Joins Atlee-Allu Arjun’s Film AA22xA6