Videos of the attack circulate online, highlighting deep national anxieties over safety and governance.
Assassination Attempt on Colombian Presidential Hopeful Sparks Nationwide Outrage
Assassination Attempt on Colombian Presidential Hopeful Sparks Nationwide Outrage
The shooting of Miguel Uribe Turbay raises fears of a resurgence in political violence in Colombia.
On Saturday, an alarming act of political violence shook Colombia, marking an unprecedented event in the nation’s recent history. During a campaign rally in Bogotá, conservative presidential candidate Miguel Uribe Turbay, aged 39 and grandson of a former Colombian president, was the target of a shocking assassination attempt. The incident, which unfolded in front of a crowd equipped with cellphone cameras, has sent ripples of fear throughout the country.
Footage, which quickly spread across social media and was authenticated by various news outlets, depicts the harrowing moment a gunman approached Mr. Uribe from behind, shooting him before fleeing the scene. Nearby, colleagues of the senator can be seen attempting to stem the flow of blood as they comfort him, highlighting the gravity of the event.
Mr. Uribe's condition was reported as “extremely serious,” according to Dr. Adolfo Llinás Volpe, medical director at the Santa Fe Foundation in Bogotá, though the hospital has chosen to keep further details confidential. The bloodied white vehicle that symbolically represents the incident has become a poignant image among citizens, evoking memories of Colombia’s turbulent past, characterized by drug-related violence and guerrilla warfare which plagued the nation from the 1980s to the early 2000s.
Amid this backdrop of distress, Sonia Ballen, a 61-year-old supporter of Mr. Uribe, expressed her fears while marching alongside fellow citizens to the hospital where he is being treated. The sentiment is palpable across Colombia as many worry that the specter of violence is re-emerging, echoing the darkest periods of the nation's history.
Footage, which quickly spread across social media and was authenticated by various news outlets, depicts the harrowing moment a gunman approached Mr. Uribe from behind, shooting him before fleeing the scene. Nearby, colleagues of the senator can be seen attempting to stem the flow of blood as they comfort him, highlighting the gravity of the event.
Mr. Uribe's condition was reported as “extremely serious,” according to Dr. Adolfo Llinás Volpe, medical director at the Santa Fe Foundation in Bogotá, though the hospital has chosen to keep further details confidential. The bloodied white vehicle that symbolically represents the incident has become a poignant image among citizens, evoking memories of Colombia’s turbulent past, characterized by drug-related violence and guerrilla warfare which plagued the nation from the 1980s to the early 2000s.
Amid this backdrop of distress, Sonia Ballen, a 61-year-old supporter of Mr. Uribe, expressed her fears while marching alongside fellow citizens to the hospital where he is being treated. The sentiment is palpable across Colombia as many worry that the specter of violence is re-emerging, echoing the darkest periods of the nation's history.
