VIDEO: Colombian Senator & Presidential Candidate Miguel Uribe Shot In Head At Public Rally; Teen Suspect Held

Bogotá: A campaign rally in Bogotá turned tragic on Saturday, June 7, when Senator and 2026 presidential candidate Miguel Uribe Turbay was shot in the head and back by an assailant as he addressed supporters. The 39‑year‑old member of the conservative Democratic Centre party, founded by former president Álvaro Uribe (to whom he is not related), was whisked away to hospital in critical condition.

Authorities confirmed the arrest of a suspect, believed to be a 15‑year‑old teenager.

Trigger Warning: Visuals in the following footage can be disturbing to some. Viewer discretion is advised.

The assassination attempt took place at around 5:00 PM in a public park in the Fontibón/Modelia district. According to Uribe’s party, “armed subjects shot him in the back” as he spoke from a makeshift platform.

Video footage shows Uribe collapsing with blood covering his head and upper body, prompting panic among attendees. His bodyguards engaged in a brief shoot‑out with the attacker, during which at least one bystander was injured.

Bogotá Mayor Carlos Galán confirmed that the suspect was apprehended on the spot and that the city's medical network was placed on red alert to treat Uribe. Colombian Defence Minister Pedro Sánchez later announced that security forces would explore all leads, including potential accomplices, speaking of an intensified, nationwide search.

Who Is Miguel Uribe?

Uribe is the son of journalist Diana Turbay, who was kidnapped by Pablo Escobar’s Medellín cartel and killed during a 1991 rescue attempt, a trauma that already shaped his political journey. His grandfather was former president Julio César Turbay Ayala.

The attack has jolted Colombia’s political class. President Gustavo Petro took to X, and wrote, “I don’t know how to ease your pain. It is the pain of a mother lost, and of a wounded homeland.”

Various voices from across government and opposition have condemned the shooting as not only an attack on Uribe, but on democracy itself, recalling Colombia’s dark history of political assassinations in the 1980s and 90s.

Reports indicate that Uribe is currently in critical and intensive care. The Colombian presidency has called for a comprehensive judicial inquiry into the incident, while the Defence Ministry is leading efforts to unravel the motive and any broader conspiracy.