Colombian senator Miguel Uribe Turbay survives emergency surgery after being shot at a campaign event

Key information:

• Miguel Uribe Turbay, a senator and declared presidential candidate for Colombia's 2026 election, was shot three times during a public campaign event in Bogotá on June 7.
• The attack was carried out by a 15-year-old, who was apprehended after attempting to flee. Authorities say he may have acted on behalf of others and have offered a reward of 3 billion pesos (approx. $1M CAD) for leads on the masterminds.
• Uribe’s survival has intensified political tension, as he is a vocal critic of President Gustavo Petro and part of the right-wing Centro Democrático party. The attack echoes Colombia's history of political violence targeting presidential candidates.
• After emergency neurosurgery, Uribe remains in critical condition. His shooting has prompted a nationwide review of candidate security and renewed calls to reject political extremism.
• The event has drawn international condemnation and widened scrutiny of Colombia's current political discourse, with concerns that inflammatory rhetoric may be contributing to instability.

Authorities say the attacker was a 15-year-old male who shot Uribe from behind while the senator was speaking to supporters in the city’s Modelia neighbourhood. Uribe was hit twice in the head and once in the leg. The suspect was detained shortly after the attack and remains in police custody.

The senator, who represents the opposition Centro Democrático party, was transported first to a nearby clinic and later to Fundación Santa Fe, one of Bogotá’s most advanced medical centres. His wife, María Claudia Tarazona, asked the public to pray for his survival.

"Miguel is fighting for his life right now. Let us ask God to guide the hands of the doctors who are treating him," she wrote in a message shared on social media. She later confirmed the operation had been successful, saying: "Miguel made it through the surgery. He did it."

Local broadcaster RCN reported that neurosurgeons were optimistic following the procedure. Bogotá’s mayor, Carlos Fernando Galán, said the next hours would be crucial: "These are critical moments and hours for his survival," he said.

Video footage circulated online showed the immediate aftermath of the shooting, including the gunman’s attempted escape and arrest. According to police, the teenager offered to name those responsible for planning the attack. He was also injured during the arrest and is expected to undergo surgery.

Colombia’s Defence Minister, Pedro Sánchez, stated that the government is offering a reward of 3 billion pesos (approximately CAD 1 million) for information leading to the capture of those responsible for the incident. A national security meeting was convened in response to the attack.

President Gustavo Petro addressed the country Saturday night, calling the attack "a failure of the government, of the state, of the entire nation." He added: "Senator Miguel Uribe Turbay is alive (...) all efforts are now focused on keeping him alive."

Uribe is a high-profile figure in Colombian politics. He is the grandson of former president Julio César Turbay and the son of journalist Diana Turbay, who was killed during a 1991 rescue operation after being kidnapped by Pablo Escobar’s cartel. Uribe had recently announced his candidacy for the 2026 presidential election and was polling at 4.4 per cent.

President Petro called for unity across political lines and stressed the importance of identifying the masterminds: "It is essential to find the perpetrator by name, wherever they may be," he said.

World leaders condemned the attack. Chilean President Gabriel Boric said violence "has no place or justification in democracy," while U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Petro’s government to "lower the temperature" and protect public officials.

In Bogotá and other cities, vigils and prayers were held throughout the night as Uribe remained in critical condition. Political leaders from across the spectrum expressed solidarity, warning that political violence threatens Colombia’s fragile democratic institutions.

Sources: El Mundo, El País