Colombian Presidential Hopeful Miguel Uribe Dies Two Months After Assassination Attempt

Colombian senator and rising presidential contender Miguel Uribe has died, two months after surviving a brutal shooting that stunned the nation and reignited memories of Colombia’s most violent political eras.

The 39-year-old lawmaker was struck by three bullets two to the head and one to the leg during a campaign rally in Bogotá on June 7. Despite multiple surgeries and weeks of intensive care at the Santa Fe Clinic, his injuries, including a severe bleed to the central nervous system, proved fatal.

His wife, María Claudia Tarazona, announced his passing in an emotional tribute on social media, calling him “the love of my life” and “the best father” to their children. She thanked supporters for their prayers and solidarity, which had inspired nationwide vigils and rallies during his fight for life.

A 15-year-old suspect was arrested shortly after the attack while fleeing the scene and has pleaded not guilty to attempted murder charges.

Authorities have detained several others accused of aiding the gunman, though the motive remains unclear.

Uribe, a senator since 2022 and a leading figure in the right-wing Democratic Centre party, was widely seen as a strong contender for his party’s 2026 presidential nomination.

He was known for his outspoken criticism of President Gustavo Petro’s leftist government and for championing conservative policies.

The brazen daylight attack has drawn comparisons to the political bloodshed of the 1980s and 1990s, when assassinations of presidential candidates and public figures shook Colombia.

Uribe’s own family history was marked by that violence: his mother, journalist Diana Turbay, was kidnapped in 1990 by the infamous Los Extraditables cartel alliance and killed during a failed rescue attempt.

Uribe often spoke of her as his driving inspiration to enter politics “to work for our country” and resist criminal forces that once terrorized Colombia.

President Petro’s office has extended condolences to Uribe’s family, as the nation mourns the loss of a young politician many saw as the face of a new generation of leadership a vision now cut short by a crime that has once again exposed the lingering dangers facing Colombia’s democracy.