Colombian Assassination Attempt Sparks Fear of New Cycle of Political Carnage

A teenage assassin allegedly shot presidential hopeful Miguel Uribe Turbay over the weekend, in what officials described as the most serious attack on a Colombian political figure in decades and a stark reminder of the country’s history of electoral violence ahead of the 2026 presidential vote, NPR reported. 

On Saturday, the conservative senator was shot in the head and chest while delivering a speech during a campaign rally in the capital of Bogota. Health officials said he remains in critical condition, with his wife adding that he is “fighting for his life.” 

Authorities apprehended a 15-year-old suspect, who allegedly fired at Uribe Turbay from behind using a “9mm Glock-type firearm,” according to Al Jazeera. 

Two other people were also injured in the incident.  

Police are still investigating a motive for the shooting.  

Elected as a senator in 2022, Uribe Turbay is a prominent right-wing figure and protégé of former president Álvaro Uribe (no relation).  

He comes from a long-established political family in Colombia: His maternal grandfather, Julio César Turbay Ayala, was president from 1978 to 1982. His mother, journalist Diana Turbay, was kidnapped and killed by Pablo Escobar’s Medellín cartel in 1991. 

Uribe Turbay has been a vocal critic of leftist President Gustavo Petro and has campaigned on promises of restoring security and order.  

Petro condemned the attack as “an assault on democracy,” urging Colombians to unite in support of Uribe.  

But his political rivals, including conservative frontrunner Vicky Dávila, blamed the leftist leader for the assassination attempt.  

Criticism also came from abroad, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio – a vocal critic of Petro – describing the shooting as “a direct threat to democracy” and calling on Colombia’s leadership to tone down inflammatory discourse. 

Analysts said the attack is the first high-profile political assassination attempt in Colombia in decades and warned that it could worsen political tensions in the deeply polarized nation, one already grappling with an increase in violence from guerrilla groups and criminal gangs, ahead of next year’s vote. 

Observers also drew comparisons to the cartel-era killings of presidential candidates in the 1980s and 1990s, such as the 1989 assassination of Luis Carlos Galán, a leading anti-corruption candidate.