BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — A Colombian senator and presidential hopeful whose shooting at a political rally in June recalled a number of the darkest chapters of the nation’s drug-fueled violence died Monday.
The household of Miguel Uribe Turbay stated the politician died at a hospital within the capital, Bogota. Uribe, 39, was shot thrice, twice within the head, whereas giving a marketing campaign speech in a park and had since remained in an intensive care unit in severe situation with episodes of slight enchancment.
“Relaxation in peace, love of my life. I’ll maintain our kids,” his spouse, María Claudia Tarazona, wrote in a social media submit confirming his loss of life. “I ask God to indicate me the best way to study to stay with out you.”
A teenage suspect was arrested on the scene of the June 7 assault in a working-class Bogota neighborhood. Authorities later detained a number of different folks, however they haven’t decided who ordered the hit or why.
The taking pictures, which was caught on a number of movies, alarmed Colombians who haven’t seen this type of political violence towards presidential candidates since Medellin drug lord Pablo Escobar declared warfare on the state within the Nineteen Nineties.
Uribe’s personal mom, well-known journalist Diana Turbay, was among the many victims of that interval. She died throughout a police rescue after being kidnapped by a bunch of drug traffickers led by Escobar searching for to dam their extradition to the US.
“If my mom was keen to provide her life for a trigger, how may I not do the identical in life and in politics?” Uribe, who was simply 5 when his mom was killed, stated in an interview final yr with a Colombian information outlet.
Uribe, a lawyer with a masters diploma in public administration from Harvard College, entered politics as a councilman for Bogota when he was 26. In 2022, he was the largest vote-getter within the conservative Democratic Heart social gathering led by former President Álvaro Uribe.
“Evil destroys every part,” the ex-president, who is just not associated to the senator, stated on social media. “They’ve killed hope. Might Miguel’s battle be a lightweight that illuminates Colombia’s path.”
The senator was among the many strongest critics of Colombia’s present authorities. In October, he joined the checklist of politicians searching for to exchange Gustavo Petro, the primary leftist to manipulate Colombia, within the Might 2026 elections.
Authorities have floated a number of hypotheses about what led to the assault, whereas allies of the candidate have complained that the federal government ignored repeated requests to bolster his state-provided safety element.
Petro took to X to supply condolences to Uribe’s household and stress that the “investigation should be furthered.”
“The federal government should repudiate the crime and assist,” Petro wrote. “No matter ideology, the individual and their household, their life and security, are the federal government’s precedence. Now we have not persecuted any member of the opposition, nor will we.”
Within the instant aftermath of the assault, tens of 1000’s of individuals wearing white and waving Colombian flags took to the streets to reject the violence.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was among the many international politicians who lamented the senator’s loss of life.
“The US stands in solidarity along with his household, the Colombian folks, each in mourning and demanding justice for these accountable,” he posted on X.
By declaring his aspirations to greater workplace, Uribe sought to develop into the nation’s youngest president, though he was not on the checklist of favorites within the early phases of the race when he was shot. The taking pictures prompted the federal government to strengthen safety for all opposition politicians and presidential hopefuls, a few of whom referred to as off political rallies for worry of being attacked.
Javier Garay, a political science professor on the Externado College of Colombia, stated Uribe has already “develop into an emblem of the Colombian proper.” Nonetheless, he thought of it untimely to foretell whether or not the senator’s loss of life will strengthen the political faction, given the present lack of unity and numerous proposals from dozens of politicians vying to symbolize the bloc on subsequent yr’s poll.
Related Press author Regina Garcia Cano contributed from Mexico Metropolis.
Observe AP’s protection of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america
