Kirk's murder opens a new chapter of leftist violence in the world

The assassination of popular conservative leader Charlie Kirk in an attack carried out on Wednesday afternoon has made one thing clear: The world is facing an increasingly violent and dangerous left. 

In recent years, several attacks and assassinations targeting right-wing figures have shaken the Western world due to their level of violence and severity. Not only are these acts carried out by international progressivism concerning, but they are also becoming increasingly frequent.  

Just a few examples have occurred in the United States, but around the world, this type of incident is beginning to represent a trend. 

Assassination of Charlie Kirk

In the most recent attack, conservative activist and co-founder of Turning Point USA, Charlie Kirk, was fatally shot after being struck by a bullet in the neck while speaking at an outdoor public event during his "American Comeback Tour" at Utah Valley University, Orem (at approximately 12:10 p.m.). The projectile was fired from approximately 180–200 meters (591–656 feet) away, from a building known as the Losee Center.

Images of the incident show Kirk stepping back and beginning to bleed profusely before collapsing, which caused panic and a stampede among attendees.

Initially, it was reported that a suspect was in custody, but authorities later clarified that no one was detained and the striker remained at large. Witnesses stated that the assailant was dressed in full black tactical clothing, wearing a helmet, mask, aviator glasses, and carrying a long gun. 

After the shooting, the university closed the campus and evacuated students and staff while federal agencies such as the FBI and ATF launched an investigation. The news of Kirk's death was publicly confirmed by President Donald Trump through his social platform Truth Social. 

Kirk's death caused a wave of bipartisan condemnation in the United States, with both Republican and Democratic political leaders denouncing the act as an extreme example of unacceptable political violence. 

Attempted Assassination of Donald Trump

In July 2024, during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, Donald Trump was the victim of an assassination attempt. The striker, Thomas Matthew Crooks, age 20, fired eight times with a rifle from a nearby rooftop.

Trump was slightly wounded in the ear, an attendee was killed, and two people were seriously injured. Crooks was shot dead by a Secret Service sniper. Subsequent investigations indicated that the threat was "foreseeable and preventable." 

In September 2024, a second attempt occurred while Trump was playing golf in West Palm Beach, Florida. A man identified as Ryan Wesley Routh was seen aiming a rifle from the bushes. A Secret Service agent confronted and fired at him, and Routh fled but was apprehended shortly after. No injuries were reported. The incident is still being investigated as an attempted assassination. 

Assassination of Shinzo Abe

On July 8, 2022, at around 11:30 a.m., Shinzo Abe was assassinated during a campaign rally in front of Yamato-Saidaiji Station in Nara. While delivering a speech in support of a Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) candidate, a man armed with a homemade device managed to get within a few meters (10 feet) and fired twice: the first shot missed, but the second struck his neck and chest, damaging an artery and severely affecting his heart.

Abe was airlifted to Nara Medical University Hospital but went into cardiopulmonary arrest. Despite desperate attempts and massive transfusions, his life could not be saved; he was declared dead at just 67 years old. 

The striker, Tetsuya Yamagami, was immediately arrested at the scene. The perpetrator confessed to acting out of resentment toward Abe and his right-wing ideals, believing he was linked to the Unification Church, which he blamed for his family's financial ruin due to excessive donations. 

Assassination of Miguel Uribe

On June 7, 2025, Miguel Uribe Turbay was attacked during a campaign event at El Golfito Park, Modelia neighborhood (Bogotá) by a 15-year-old hitman who shot him several times: two bullets to the head and one to the leg. The bodyguard and police apprehended the assailant at the scene.

Uribe was first taken to Medicentro Clinic and then to Fundación Santa Fe, where he underwent multiple surgeries and remained in intensive care for more than two months, before passing away in the early hours of August 11, 2025, due to bleeding in the central nervous system.

The Prosecutor's Office classified the act as an assassination. To date, six people have been arrested in connection with the crime, including the killer and those who provided the weapon and transportation. The coordinator, alias "El Costeño" (Elder José Arteaga Hernández), was detained. 

The crime reignited fears of a new era of political violence, being seen as the first deadly attack against a presidential candidate in more than 30 years, which was carried out as a result of the alliance between Petro's communist government and the Colombian communist guerrilla.  

Assassination of Fernando Villavicencio

On August 9, 2023, at 6:20 p.m. (local time), journalist and former legislator Fernando Villavicencio was shot dead while getting into a van after a political rally in Quito. He was shot three times in the head; in addition, a grenade thrown at his supporters did not explode.

He was taken to a nearby clinic, where his death was confirmed. Nine people were injured, including police officers and a legislative candidate. The crime occurred in the context of a severe political and security crisis in Ecuador, where Villavicencio had publicly denounced mafias and corrupt structures linked to drug trafficking

In July 2024, five people linked to the criminal gang Los Lobos were convicted: two for coordinating the assassination received sentences of 34 years and eight months, and three accomplices received 12 years each. 

Subsequently, in September 2025, the Ecuadorian Prosecutor's Office implicated four alleged masterminds: former assembly members José Serrano and Ronny Aleaga, and businessmen Xavier Jordán and Daniel Salcedo, indicating that planning began in 2022. 

Attempted Assassination of Jair Bolsonaro

On September 6, 2018, while holding a rally in Juiz de Fora (Minas Gerais), Jair Bolsonaro, then a congressman and presidential candidate, was stabbed in the abdomen by leftist psychiatric patient Adélio Bispo de Oliveira. The striker acted alone, claiming he did so by "God's order." 

Bolsonaro suffered serious injuries: three wounds to the small bowels and one to an abdominal vein, causing severe internal bleeding. He was immediately hospitalized at Santa Casa de Misericórdia, where he underwent several surgeries (four in total). Despite the critical nature of his condition, he managed to survive the attack.

The striker was arrested at the scene and was later ordered to be held indefinitely in a psychiatric facility. Recently, the former Brazilian president underwent another series of surgeries, while he is being pursued by the communist justice system allied with guerrilla Lula da Silva.