Colombian Presidential Candidate Attacked: Uribe Turbay Shot at Rally

Tensions rise in Colombia following a violent attack on political candidate Miguel Uribe Turbay, who was shot while campaigning for the presidency.

A Colombian presidential candidate, Miguel Uribe Turbay, has been critically injured after being shot three times, including twice in the head, while speaking at a rally in Bogotá. The attack occurred on Saturday, leading to panic among the attendees as video footage captured the moment shots were fired. A suspect was apprehended at the scene.

Uribe's wife, Maria Claudia Tarazona, expressed her distress, urging the nation to pray for his survival and asking for divine guidance for the doctors treating him. The Centro Democratico party, to which Uribe belongs, condemned the attack, highlighting its implications for both Uribe's safety and the broader integrity of democracy in Colombia.

The leftist government of President Gustavo Petro also decried the act as an assault on democracy itself, affirming a united front against political violence. Uribe, 39, announced his candidacy for the upcoming presidential elections just last month and is part of a notable political family. His background includes personal tragedies, with his mother, journalist Diana Turbay, having been killed in a 1991 kidnapping incident involving infamous drug lord Pablo Escobar’s cartel. The implications of this violent attack on the future of Colombian politics remain to be seen.