Assassination attack claims life of rising Colombian political star Miguel Uribe
Colombian senator and presidential candidate Miguel Uribe Turbay died Monday, two months after an assassination attempt that left him with severe gunshot wounds to the head. He was 39.
His wife, María Claudia Tarazona, confirmed his death in an emotional post on X: “You will always be the love of my life. Thank you for a life full of love, thank you for being the best father to our children. I ask God to show me the way to learn to live without you. Our love transcends this physical plane. Wait for me… Rest in peace, love of my life, I will take care of our children.”
Uribe, a candidate for the right-wing opposition party Democratic Center, was attacked June 7 during a campaign event in Bogotá’s Modelia neighborhood. He was shot twice in the head and once in the leg. Despite multiple surgeries and signs of recovery, his condition took a turn for the worse last week. The Santa Fe Foundation, the hospital where he was treated, said Friday his health had deteriorated in the previous 48 hours “to a critical state due to an episode of hemorrhage in the central nervous system.”
The shooting shocked Colombia and sparked a wave of solidarity. Thousands marched in Bogotá and more than 20 other cities to denounce political violence. His death rekindled memories of the 1990 assassinations of presidential hopefuls Luis Carlos Galán, Bernardo Jaramillo and Carlos Pizarro.
Uribe Turbay launched his presidential campaign in March, running on a platform focused on security, economic growth and foreign investment. While not leading in the polls, he was seen as a rising star in the conservative opposition and a sharp critic of leftist President Gustavo Petro.
He began his political career at age 25 as a Bogotá city council member, later serving as secretary of Government under Mayor Enrique Peñalosa. In 2022, he was elected to the Senate after joining the Democratic Center at the invitation of former President Álvaro Uribe Vélez, to whom he was not related.
A member of one of Colombia’s most prominent political families, Uribe was the grandson of former President Julio César Turbay Ayala and liberal leader Rodrigo Uribe Echavarría.
His mother, journalist Diana Turbay, was kidnapped and killed by the Medellín Cartel in 1991 when Uribe Turbay was just four years old — a personal tragedy he invoked during his campaign.
“It was here where my mother was kidnapped by Pablo Escobar,” he said in a video recorded last year in the Antioquian mountains.
Announcing that the crime will be classified as a “magnicide” — a designation reserved for the assassination of major poitical figures— the Colombian Attorney General’s Office said it will request a new arraignment hearing for the six people arrested in connection with the killing, who will face charges of aggravated homicide, which carry the harshest penalties that could range between 33 and 50 years in prison, and even a life sentence.
Attorney General Luz Adriana Camargo said “the perpetrator and those involved in the preparation and planning of the magnicide are already before the courts” and that the search for those who ordered the crime continues “without ruling out any hypothesis,” referring to the theory raised by police officials that the kill order came from the FARC guerrilla dissident group known as the Segunda Marquetalia.
Among the six detainees are the hitman — a 15-year-old boy caught at the scene with the weapon used in the attack — and Elder José Arteaga Hernández, alias “El Costeño,” identified as the coordinator of the assault.
“On this day of deep sorrow, we reaffirm our commitment to capturing every last one of those responsible for this magnicide that mourns Colombia,” said National Police Director Major General Carlos Fernando Triana on his X account.
The death of the Colombian senator sparked expressions of grief and outrage across the continent, including in the United States, where Secretary of State Marco Rubio demanded justice.
“Very saddened to learn of the tragic death of Colombian Senator Miguel Uribe Turbay. The United States stands in solidarity with his family, the Colombian people, and demands justice for those responsible,” Rubio wrote in a brief message on his X account.
The sentiment was echoed by Miami’s congressional delegation — Republican Reps. Mario Díaz-Balart, María Elvira Salazar, and Carlos Giménez — who mourned the loss of the young Colombian politician.
“This enormous injustice cannot be in vain,” Giménez said on social media. “Senator Miguel Uribe — a statesman, brilliant, tireless, courageous. I had the honor of welcoming him during his visits to Congress in Washington.”
Díaz-Balart described him as “a young politician who was a beacon of hope for democracy in his country,” while Salazar said “his passing leaves an immense void in those who knew him and is deeply painful in the heart of all Colombia.”
South Florida is home to one of the largest Colombian communities in the United States.
This story was originally published August 11, 2025 at 9:45 AM.
