Bogotá, August 11 (HS): Colombia is in shock after the death of conservative senator and presidential hopeful Miguel Uribe Turbay, who succumbed to injuries sustained during an assassination attempt at a campaign rally two months ago. He was 39.

Uribe Turbay was attacked on June 7 while addressing supporters in western Bogotá. A gunman opened fire, striking him in the head and leg. The politician was rushed to hospital for emergency surgeries and had remained in critical condition in intensive care ever since.

His wife, María Claudia Tarazona, confirmed his death in the early hours of Monday, posting a deeply emotional tribute on Instagram:

You will always be the love of my life. Thank you for a life filled with love, for being the father of our girls, for being the best dad to Alejandro.

Police arrested a teenage suspect at the scene of the shooting and, in the weeks that followed, took several more individuals into custody. Last month, authorities announced the capture of Elder José Arteaga Hernández, accused of masterminding the attack. The motive behind the assassination attempt remains under investigation.

Uribe Turbay had announced his candidacy for the 2026 presidential elections in October last year and quickly emerged as one of the most vocal critics of President Gustavo Petro. His killing has drawn widespread condemnation across the political spectrum in a nation with a grim history of political violence, where drug cartels and rebel groups have repeatedly targeted public figures.

His father, a journalist, was abducted and murdered in 1991 during one of Colombia’s most violent chapters, underscoring the tragic pattern of loss in the family’s history.

—————

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar