Bogotá, Colombia – Miguel Uribe Turbay, a prominent Colombian senator and presidential candidate, has died more than two months after being shot in a brazen attack at a campaign rally. His death on August 11, 2025, has sent shockwaves across the nation, stoking fears of a return to the political violence that once plagued the country.
Uribe, 39, was shot twice in the head at close range on June 7, 2025, while addressing supporters in the Fontibón neighborhood of Bogotá. He was immediately rushed to the Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá hospital, where he underwent multiple surgeries and remained in intensive care for over two months before ultimately succumbing to his injuries.
A 15-year-old suspect was apprehended at the scene of the crime with a firearm. The teenager has since pleaded not guilty to charges of attempted murder. The investigation has expanded, with authorities detaining several other individuals suspected of aiding the gunman. One of the key figures in custody is Elder José Arteaga Hernández, alias "El Costeño," who authorities allege was the mastermind behind the assassination plot. However, a clear motive and the full scope of the conspiracy remain under active investigation.
The assassination has deeply unsettled Colombia, drawing grim parallels to the turbulent era of the 1980s and 1990s, when political figures, judges, and journalists were frequently targeted by powerful drug cartels and armed groups. For the Uribe family, the tragedy is a painful echo of the past. Uribe's mother, journalist Diana Turbay, was kidnapped and killed in 1991 during a botched rescue operation targeting allies of drug lord Pablo Escobar. His grandfather was Julio César Turbay Ayala, who served as president of Colombia from 1978 to 1982.
A key figure in the conservative Democratic Center party, Uribe had recently announced his candidacy for the 2026 presidential election. He was widely seen as a rising leader who aimed to build a platform centered on peace and security, a message that resonated with many Colombians weary of decades of conflict.
Tributes and condemnations have poured in from across the Colombian political spectrum and the international community. President Gustavo Petro urged the nation to reject political violence and embrace dialogue. "The life of Miguel Uribe Turbay has been extinguished by violence," Petro stated. "We cannot allow the shadows of the past to define our future." The mayor's office in Bogotá has declared three days of mourning in honor of the late senator.
International leaders also expressed their sorrow and called for justice. U.S. secretary of state Marco Rubio offered condolences and reiterated support for Colombia's democracy. The prevailing sentiment among many citizens was one of profound loss, captured by the headline in the newspaper El País, which quoted mourners saying, "Mataron la esperanza" ("They killed hope").
As the nation mourns, the investigation into who ordered and financed the assassination continues, leaving a grieving country to confront not only the loss of a political leader but also the resurgence of its darkest political shadows.