Colombian Politician Battling For Life After Headshot Attack

Medical professionals caring for Colombian politician Miguel Uribe Turbay have described his current state as “extremely critical” following a gunshot wound to the head sustained 10 days prior.

According to a statement from the hospital, Uribe underwent an urgent surgical procedure on Monday aimed at stopping bleeding in his brain.

His wife expressed that the period immediately following the surgery would be crucial for his survival and urged fellow citizens to offer prayers for his healing.

The violent incident on June 7 deeply unsettled the nation, prompting tens of thousands of Colombians to gather for silent demonstrations across various cities on Sunday.

“Miguel continues to fight for his life like never before,” his wife, María Claudia Tarazona, said to reporters outside Santa Fe hospital, where he remains under intensive medical care.

“We need all the prayers and words of love. It’s love is keeping him alive.”

Uribe, a 39-year-old conservative senator and contender for his party’s 2026 presidential ticket, was struck by gunfire three times during a public event held in Bogotá.

A 15-year-old suspect, believed to have carried out the shooting, was apprehended while attempting to escape. Authorities have charged him with attempted murder; he has denied the accusation.

Two other individuals have also been arrested in connection to the assault — one allegedly responsible for supplying the firearm and another accused of offering “logistical support” for the act.

Despite the arrests, law enforcement is still investigating the underlying reasons for the attack and seeking to uncover who might have orchestrated the plot.

The boldness of this assault — carried out in the open as Uribe delivered a speech in a residential district of Bogotá — has stirred painful memories of Colombia’s troubled past in the 1980s and 90s, when political killings of major figures, including presidential hopefuls, were rampant.

Uribe’s mother, Diana Turbay, a well-known journalist, was abducted by the group Los Extraditables in 1990 — a coalition formed by the country’s most notorious drug lords.

She endured five months in captivity before tragically being fatally shot during a failed rescue mission.

Uribe frequently referenced her story as the driving force behind his decision “to work for our country.”

Los Extraditables, who were infamous for vowing to die in Colombia rather than face imprisonment in the United States, targeted prominent Colombians in an effort to pressure the government to revoke its extradition agreement with the U.S.