The Voice News: Colombian presidential candidate and opposition senator Miguel Uribe Turbay is undergoing critical surgery following a brazen assassination attempt that has sent shockwaves across a nation still haunted by memories of its violent past.
The 39-year-old politician, a vocal critic of President Gustavo Petro’s peace strategy, was shot twice while campaigning in the Modelia neighborhood of Bogotá on Saturday afternoon. The attack, witnessed by more than 250 people, has revived fears of a return to the political bloodshed that plagued Colombia during the peak of drug cartel violence in the 1980s and early 1990s.
A Nation in Shock
Surgeons at the prestigious Fundación Santa Fe Hospital are performing complex neurosurgical and vascular procedures to save Uribe’s life. His wife issued a statement late Saturday night saying her husband is “fighting for his life” and thanked Colombians for their prayers.
Authorities say a 15-year-old boy was apprehended at the scene after being subdued and beaten by an outraged crowd. A 9mm Glock pistol was recovered. Attorney General Luz Camargo confirmed that the teenage suspect is receiving treatment under police custody. While the motive remains unclear, President Petro announced a full-scale investigation to determine who might have orchestrated the attack.
“This is an attack not just on one man, but on democracy itself,” said Petro in a televised address. “We must know who ordered this, and why.”
An Echo of Colombia’s Dark Past
The attempt on Uribe’s life echoes one of the darkest chapters in Colombian history, when presidential candidates such as Luis Carlos Galán and Carlos Pizarro were assassinated. Uribe’s own family has not been spared — his mother, prominent journalist Diana Turbay, was killed during a 1991 rescue attempt after being kidnapped by Pablo Escobar’s Medellín cartel.
Miguel Uribe is the grandson of former President Julio César Turbay and holds degrees from Universidad de los Andes and Harvard Kennedy School. A rising star in the Democratic Center party, he has positioned himself as a defender of democratic institutions, a proponent of pro-business policies, and a fierce opponent of Petro’s approach to peace with armed groups.
Just 48 hours before the attack, Uribe had warned during a speech in Cartagena that “Colombia is being dragged back into a past of violence,” a prophetic statement that now reverberates with chilling resonance.
A Fragile Peace Unravels
President Petro’s “Total Peace” policy — aimed at negotiating demobilization agreements with guerrilla factions and drug-related private armies — has so far failed to yield substantial results. In the meantime, illegal armed groups have expanded their territorial influence, especially in rural and resource-rich regions.
Security experts warn that the attempted assassination could be a turning point for Colombia’s fragile political stability and could worsen investor confidence. “This event marks a return to targeted political violence,” said political analyst Daniela Cárdenas. “It threatens not just candidates, but Colombia’s international image.”
International Condemnation and Political Fallout
Condemnation poured in from around the world. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the shooting as “a direct threat to democracy,” blaming “violent leftist rhetoric” at high levels of the Colombian government. Protests erupted outside the hospital, with demonstrators accusing the Petro administration of failing to protect public figures.
Former President Álvaro Uribe Vélez, Miguel’s political mentor (no relation), called him “a hope for the motherland,” and urged unity against “the forces trying to destroy democracy through violence.”
The incident also echoes recent turmoil in neighboring Ecuador, where in 2023, presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was assassinated by drug gangs. Analysts fear a regional trend of criminal influence in politics is on the rise.
Looking Ahead to 2026 Elections
As Colombia gears up for its 2026 presidential and congressional elections, concerns over candidate safety are intensifying. President Petro has vowed to ramp up security for all presidential contenders. Still, the shooting has cast a long shadow over the electoral process, raising questions about the state’s ability to ensure free and fair campaigning.
For now, a nation waits with bated breath as doctors fight to save Miguel Uribe — a man many see as a symbol of resistance against a return to Colombia’s violent past.