Miguel Uribe Turbay, a Colombian senator and presidential hopeful, died on August 11, 2025, more than two months after being critically wounded in a shooting at a campaign rally in Bogotá on June 7. He suffered gunshot wounds to the head and leg, underwent multiple emergency surgeries, and was hospitalized in intensive care before succumbing to his injuries. His wife, María Claudia Tarazona, announced his death on social media, expressing deep grief and promising to care for their children.

Uribe was shot three times during a campaign event in a working-class neighborhood of Bogotá while interacting with supporters. Authorities arrested a 15-year-old boy at the scene who is alleged to have carried out the shooting, and several others have been detained in connection with the attack. Prosecutors identified Elder José Arteaga Hernández, also known as “Chipi” or “Costeño,” who is linked to a dissident group of the defunct FARC guerrilla group, as the alleged mastermind behind the assassination attempt. All suspects have pleaded not guilty.

The attack shocked Colombia, recalling the country’s violent political past, especially the assassinations of presidential candidates during the 1980s and 1990s, often blamed on drug cartels and paramilitary groups. Uribe's mother, Diana Turbay, was a journalist who was killed in 1991 after being kidnapped by drug traffickers during that turbulent era. Uribe had publicly reflected on his mother’s sacrifice and had become a prominent conservative voice, known for his sharp criticism of the left-wing government and President Gustavo Petro’s peace policies.

Miguel Uribe Turbay was a rising political figure within the right-wing Democratic Center party. At 39, he was preparing to run in Colombia’s 2026 presidential election. Following the shooting, tens of thousands took to the streets to denounce political violence. The attack reignited fears of Colombia returning to a cycle of violence that threatened its democracy. Internationally, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the assassination attempt strongly and expressed solidarity with Uribe’s family and the Colombian people in demanding justice.