Colombian Presidential Candidate Miguel Uribe Dies After Shooting Attack

Miguel Uribe, a 39-year-old opposition senator and leading presidential candidate, succumbed to his injuries after being shot three times during a June campaign rally in Bogotá. The grandson of a former Colombian president and son of a journalist murdered by drug cartels, Uribe had been fighting for his life through multiple surgeries before suffering a fatal brain hemorrhage. His death marks the first high-profile political assassination in Colombia since the violent 1990s, when three presidential candidates were killed.

The attack occurred as Uribe addressed supporters in Fontibón neighborhood, with gunmen firing from behind. A 15-year-old was detained at the scene with a firearm, while six suspects have since been arrested. Uribe’s party, Centro Democrático, condemned the ’unacceptable act of violence’ as the incident sparked vigils nationwide. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio demanded justice, expressing solidarity with Colombia amid growing concerns over election-related violence ahead of the 2026 presidential race.

Uribe’s personal history mirrored Colombia’s turbulent past - his mother was kidnapped and killed by Pablo Escobar’s cartel, an event immortalized in Gabriel García Márquez’s book ’News of a Kidnapping.’ As the most voted senator in 2022 elections, his death leaves a power vacuum in Colombian politics while reviving painful memories of the country’s violent political history. The government continues investigating possible motives behind the attack that has shaken the nation.

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