Inside the Colombia candidate attack: summary

FILE PHOTO: Colombian Senator Miguel Uribe Turbay is hospitalized after being shot during a campaign event, in Bogota

FILE PHOTO: A man holds a figure of the Virgin Mary with a photo of Colombian Senator Miguel Uribe Turbay of the opposition Democratic Center party outside the Santa Fe Foundation hospital, after the senator was shot during a campaign event, in Bogota, Colombia, June 10, 2025. REUTERS/Luisa Gonzalez/File Photo

Source: REUTERS

What we know

Miguel Uribe Turbay, a 39-year-old senator was shot three times, including twice in the head, by a 15-year-old assailant during a campaign rally in Bogotá’s Fontibón neighborhood
Uribe Turbay, a congressman for the right-wing party Centro Democrático party and opposition leader is favorite to win the May 2026, elections.
The attacker, armed with a U.S.-purchased 9mm Glock-type firearm, was arrested after a gunfight with Uribe’s bodyguards, sustaining injuries. He faces up to eight years in a rehabilitation center.
Uribe’s security detail was reduced from seven to three on the day of the attack, prompting President Gustavo Petro to investigate the matter.
Uribe remains in critical condition following emergency surgery at Santa Fe Foundation hospital

What they said

Human Rights Watch’s Juanita Goebertus condemned the attack as “a chilling reminder of Colombia’s darkest chapters,” calling for investigations and candidate protections, Jurist News reports. President Petro labeled it an “attack on democracy,” vowing transparency.

This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.

Padmore Takramah