Colombia: Right-wing senator and presidential candidate Miguel Uribe Turbay has died

Colombia woke up today to the unfortunate news of the passing of Miguel Uribe Turbay, senator and main right-wing presidential candidate, who died in the early hours of Monday at Fundación Santa Fe in Bogotá due to complications resulting from the attack he suffered on June 7 during a political event in the Colombian capital, when a left-wing hitman shot him in the head.

At 38 years old, Uribe Turbay remained in critical condition for more than two months after being shot several times, one of them in the head, while greeting supporters at a campaign event. Although at times he showed signs of improvement that allowed the start of a neurorehabilitation process, his condition worsened again in recent days due to a hemorrhage in the central nervous system.

The news of his death was confirmed minutes before his wife, María Claudia Tarazona, published a moving message on social media, accompanied by a photograph with him, which touched thousands of people.

The attack against the senator took place on Saturday, June 7, 2025, in the Modelia neighborhood in western Bogotá. While he was addressing the crowd during a political event, a young hitman, hidden among the activists, shot him at point-blank range. Uribe Turbay sustained three gunshot wounds: one to the leg and two to the head.

Witnesses reacted immediately, initially taking him to Clínica Medicentro. Given the severity of his injuries, he was urgently transferred to Fundación Santa Fe, where he ultimately passed away.

Miguel Uribe's life

Miguel Uribe Turbay was born in Bogotá on January 28, 1986, into a family with a deep political tradition. His maternal grandfather was former president Julio César Turbay, while his paternal grandfather, Rodrigo Uribe Echavarría, was a leader of the Liberal Party. When he was just five years old, he suffered the loss of his mother, journalist Diana Turbay, who died during a failed rescue operation after her kidnapping ordered by Pablo Escobar.

He completed his schooling at Los Nogales School and graduated as a lawyer from Universidad de los Andes, where he also earned a master's degree in Public Policy. His political career began early: at 25 years old, he was elected councilman of Bogotá and later assumed the position of Secretary of Government during Enrique Peñalosa's administration. In the 2022 elections, he became the most voted senator in the country for the Centro Democrático party.

Uribe Turbay is survived by his wife, María Claudia Tarazona, and his son, Alejandro. His political and personal career was cut short by an attack that reignited the debate about the security of political leaders in Colombia and the extreme violence of the left as a constant threat to democracy.