A rising presidential contender Miguel Uribe has died, two months after sustaining severe gunshot wounds in a brazen attack that shocked the South American nation.
The 39-year-old legislator was critically injured on 7 June when he was shot three times—twice in the head and once in the leg—while addressing supporters at a campaign rally in Bogotá. Despite undergoing multiple surgeries at the Santa Fe clinic, doctors confirmed that Uribe succumbed to complications from a central nervous system bleed on Saturday.
His wife, María Claudia Tarazona, announced the news on social media, paying tribute to “the love of my life” and thanking him for “a life full of love” and for being “the best father” to their children. She had earlier urged Colombians to pray for his recovery, with thousands joining vigils and rallies in his honour.
Police arrested a 15-year-old suspect shortly after the shooting as he attempted to flee the scene. The teenager has been charged with attempted murder—now expected to be updated to murder—and has pleaded not guilty. Authorities say several others have also been detained for allegedly aiding the gunman. The motive for the attack remains unclear.
Uribe, who became a senator in 2022, had been seeking his party’s nomination for the 2026 presidential election. His killing has reignited painful memories of Colombia’s violent political history in the 1980s and 90s, when several presidential candidates were assassinated.
The tragedy also carries a deeply personal resonance: Uribe’s mother, journalist Diana Turbay, was kidnapped in 1990 by Los Extraditables—a coalition of powerful drug lords—during the height of Colombia’s narco-violence. She was killed five months later during a botched rescue mission. Uribe often cited her as his inspiration for public service, vowing “to work for our country” in her memory.
The senator’s death marks a somber moment for Colombia’s democracy, with political leaders across the spectrum condemning the violence and calling for greater protection for public figures ahead of the 2026 polls.
