Miguel Uribe Turbay, senator and presidential pre-candidate for the Centro Democrático party, was a victim of an armed attack this Saturday while participating in a campaign event in Bogotá.
The attack occurred while the politician was addressing the attendees from a platform, prompting a police mobilization in the area.
According to the preliminary information from his campaign team, two armed men fired shots at Uribe Turbay from behind while he was giving his speech. In videos shared on social media, the wounded senator can be seen being helped by citizens at the scene.
So far, authorities have not issued an official report on his health condition, although a statement is expected in the coming hours. However, preliminary information revealed by Blu Radio indicates that Miguel Uribe Turbay was shot in the head and was urgently taken to a hospital, where he remains in critical condition but with vital signs.
The event has generated a strong rejection in the national political sphere, both due to the seriousness of the attack and the increasing atmosphere of intolerance and violence that has surrounded some electoral scenarios. Several leaders from the Democratic Center have spoken out condemning the attack and demanding that the national government take decisive actions to protect the lives of political leaders carrying out their democratic duties.
Former president Álvaro Uribe Vélez, natural leader of the party, expressed his solidarity with the senator’s family and requested an immediate clarification of the events. On the other hand, various political figures from other sectors have also expressed their repudiation, requesting guarantees for the development of the presidential campaigns.
The Metropolitan Police of Bogotá and the Attorney General’s Office have started the corresponding investigations to determine the identity of the attackers and establish whether it was a politically motivated attack.
This serious episode once again puts the security of the candidates and respect for democratic institutions at the center of the debate, at a crucial moment in the electoral calendar in Colombia.