Colombian Senator Miguel Uribe Turbay dies 2 months after being shot in public in Bogota
Uribe Turbay condition had worsened over the weekend in the hospital.
Colombian Senator Miguel Uribe Turbay died this Monday in a Bogota hospital after being shot during a political rally in the Colombian capital on June 7.
Several local reports broke the news, which was later confirmed by Uribe's press team to other media, including BBC Mundo.
"The Santa Fe de Bogota Foundation regrets to inform that Senator Miguel Uribe Turbay passed away at 1:56 a.m. today," the hospital where the senator was hospitalized said in a statement.
"Despite all efforts, this is a sad outcome, which is why we express our solidarity with the entire Uribe Turbay family in this moment of profound pain," the clinic added.
Uribe's condition had worsened in recent days, reverting to a "critical condition" due to hemorrhage in the central nervous system.
Uribe Turbay, 39, was a presidential candidate for the opposition Centro party Democratic.
“Rest in peace, love of my life,” his wife, María Claudia Tarazona, wrote in an Instagram post.
The Santa Fe de Bogotá Foundation had reported last Saturday that, due to his clinical worsening, the patient “required new urgent neurosurgical procedures” to stabilize him.
The news of his death comes just two months after the attempt on his life at a political event in western Bogotá on Saturday, June 7, and less than a year before the presidential elections, which Uribe Turbay hoped to contest.
“A void impossible to fill”
Senator He was shot several times, two of them in the head, according to the Attorney General's Office. To date, six alleged perpetrators have been arrested, including a 15-year-old minor who allegedly shot the victim. The motive for the crime remains unclear. The attack on the pre-candidate brought back old ghosts from Colombia's past. when more than three decades ago the assassinations of presidential candidates and other politicians made headlines.
Uribe Turbay, of the Democratic Center party founded by former President Álvaro Uribe, was a strong critic of President Gustavo Petro.
“The violence that eats away at us took Miguel Uribe Turbay, a man whose legacy of service and love for Colombia inspires us all. His fight for life was a test for us, and his passing leaves a void impossible to fill,” he reacted this Monday on X Democratic Center.
“Deeply saddened to learn of the tragic death of Colombian Senator Miguel Uribe Turbay. The United States remains in solidarity with his family and the Colombian people, both in mourning and demanding justice for those responsible,” "Uribe Turbay's death has been confirmed," said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The confirmation of Uribe Turbay's death comes amid a tense climate in Colombia, with frequent strong criticism from both sides of the political spectrum as the different parties prepare their cards for the electoral date in 2026.
Insecurity, although not registering figures like the 70 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants that existed in 1990, continues to be one of the biggest concerns for Colombians.

