A 15-year-old boy has been sentenced to seven years in juvenile detention for shooting Colombian presidential hopeful Miguel Uribe Turbay at a rally in Bogotá in June. The conservative senator, aged 39, underwent multiple surgeries after being hit by three bullets but died on August 11. The teenager faced charges of attempted murder and illegal possession of firearms.
The incident has shocked Colombians, who remember the political violence that plagued the country during the 1980s and 90s when numerous presidential candidates and influential figures were assassinated.
In connection with the attack, five others have been arrested, including suspected criminal Élder José Arteaga Hernandez. Authorities suspect that a dissident group of former left-wing FARC rebels orchestrated the assassination.
Uribe was shot in the head at a campaign rally on June 7, with unverified footage of the incident circulating widely online. After his arrest, the teenager reportedly stated, I did it for money for my family.
The senator was a prominent member of the right-wing Democratic Centre party and was vying for the party's nomination for the 2026 presidential election. Following his death, his father, Miguel Uribe Londoño, announced his own presidential campaign to honor his son's legacy.
Uribe Londoño previously served on Bogotá's city council and as a senator for Colombia's Conservative Party in the early 1990s. Tragically, he had also lost his mother, journalist Diana Turbay, to kidnappers linked to drug lords in 1990, during a time when many in Colombia faced political violence. Uribe cited his mother as an inspiration for his political career, wishing to work towards a better future for Colombia.
The incident has shocked Colombians, who remember the political violence that plagued the country during the 1980s and 90s when numerous presidential candidates and influential figures were assassinated.
In connection with the attack, five others have been arrested, including suspected criminal Élder José Arteaga Hernandez. Authorities suspect that a dissident group of former left-wing FARC rebels orchestrated the assassination.
Uribe was shot in the head at a campaign rally on June 7, with unverified footage of the incident circulating widely online. After his arrest, the teenager reportedly stated, I did it for money for my family.
The senator was a prominent member of the right-wing Democratic Centre party and was vying for the party's nomination for the 2026 presidential election. Following his death, his father, Miguel Uribe Londoño, announced his own presidential campaign to honor his son's legacy.
Uribe Londoño previously served on Bogotá's city council and as a senator for Colombia's Conservative Party in the early 1990s. Tragically, he had also lost his mother, journalist Diana Turbay, to kidnappers linked to drug lords in 1990, during a time when many in Colombia faced political violence. Uribe cited his mother as an inspiration for his political career, wishing to work towards a better future for Colombia.
