BOGOTÁ – Colombian Senator Miguel Uribe, a rising right-wing presidential contender and member of one of the nation’s most prominent political families, died early Monday at the age of 39, succumbing to injuries sustained in a shooting at a campaign event two months ago.
Uribe was shot in the head on June 7 in Bogotá while campaigning for his party’s nomination for the 2026 presidential election. His death was confirmed at 1:56 a.m. (0656 GMT) by the Santa Fe Foundation hospital, where he had undergone multiple surgeries and received round-the-clock care. The hospital reported his condition had sharply deteriorated over the weekend due to a central nervous system hemorrhage.
His wife, María Claudia Tarazona, announced his passing on social media: “I ask God to show me the way to live without you. Rest in peace, love of my life. I will take care of our children.”
The killing marks Colombia’s deadliest act of political violence in two decades, reviving memories of the 1980s and 1990s, when drug cartels assassinated four presidential candidates in separate attacks.
President Gustavo Petro condemned the assassination and called for an exhaustive investigation with the assistance of international experts. “Every time a Colombian is murdered, it is a defeat for Colombia and for life,” he said.
Former President Álvaro Uribe, leader of the senator’s Democratic Center party and unrelated to the victim, lamented on X: “Evil destroys everything; they killed hope. May Miguel’s fight be a light that illuminates Colombia’s path.”
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also expressed condolences, pledging solidarity with the Colombian people and support in seeking justice.
Ongoing Investigation
Authorities have arrested six suspects, including a 15-year-old alleged gunman who, in a recorded arrest video verified by Reuters, claimed he was hired by a local drug dealer. Prosecutors say the plot was hatched in Medellín, and police are pursuing the so-called “intellectual authors” behind the assassination.
Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez vowed that those responsible would be brought to justice, reiterating a 3 billion-peso (approx. $740,000) reward for information. The investigation is receiving support from the United States, United Kingdom, and United Arab Emirates.
A Political Career Cut Short
The son of late journalist Diana Turbay—killed in 1991 during a botched rescue from the Medellín Cartel—and grandson of former President Julio César Turbay (1978–1982), Miguel Uribe rose swiftly through Colombian politics. At 25, he became a Bogotá city councillor, emerging as a fierce critic of then-mayor Petro.
Elected to the Senate in 2022 as head of the Democratic Center’s slate, Uribe positioned himself as a leading voice against Petro’s policies, opposing restrictions on the oil industry, defending judicial independence, and rejecting a proposed referendum on labor reforms.
His Senate seat has remained draped in the Colombian flag since the day of the shooting—a silent tribute to a lawmaker whose life and ambitions were cut tragically short.
Uribe is survived by his wife, young son, two stepdaughters, father, and sister.
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