Colombian senator and presidential hopeful Miguel Uribe has died, two months after being shot in the head during a political rally in the capital. He was 39.
DAILY POST had reported that Uribe, a rising figure in the right-wing Democratic Centre party and a vocal critic of President Gustavo Petro, sustained three gunshot wounds, two to the head and one to the leg, in a targeted attack on June 7.
Despite undergoing multiple surgeries at Bogotá’s Santa Fe clinic, doctors said he suffered a severe central nervous system injury from which he could not recover.
His wife, María Claudia Tarazona, confirmed his death in an emotional tribute on social media, calling him “the love of my life” and “the best father” to their children.
Thousands of Colombians had joined vigils and “marches of silence” over the past weeks, rallying for his recovery.
Authorities arrested a 15-year-old suspect moments after the shooting, charging him with attempted murder. Several others have been detained on suspicion of aiding the gunman. Investigators have yet to determine a clear motive.
Uribe, who entered the Senate in 2022, had been seeking his party’s nomination for the 2026 presidential election and was polling strongly.
His assassination attempt has revived memories of Colombia’s violent political past, when presidential candidates and public figures were frequent targets of killings.
Tragedy is not new to Uribe’s family, his mother, journalist Diana Turbay, was kidnapped and killed in 1990 during a botched rescue attempt by security forces after being held hostage by drug lords.
President Petro’s office expressed condolences, while Vice President Francia Márquez called for unity, warning, “Democracy is not built with bullets or blood; it is built with respect, dialogue and recognizing our differences.”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was among the first international figures to react, urging that those responsible be swiftly brought to justice.
