MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Colombian Presidential hopeful in critical condition after last week's shooting

The Senator was reported to be fighting for his life

Colombian Senator and Presidential hopeful Miguel Uribe Turbay was reported to be in “extremely critical” condition Monday following emergency surgery for acute intracerebral bleeding caused by intense edema. He was shot twice in the head and once in the leg during a campaign event in the Modelia neighborhood in western Bogota last week.

The Santa Fe Foundation, where he is hospitalized, reports persistent brain swelling and difficult-to-control bleeding, with a guarded prognosis. Uribe Turbay is not related to former President Álvaro Uribe Vélez beyond their political joint stances.

The 39-year-old lawmaker of the Democratic Center party underwent multiple surgeries after the attack. His wife, María Claudia Tarazona, described him as fighting for his life and called for nationwide prayers.

Three suspects, including a 15-year-old gunman and two adults, have been arrested and charged with attempted homicide and illegal weapons possession, including the Glock pistol used in the attack, which sparked a wave of solidarity, including a 'March of Silence' against political violence. The adults were identified as Carlos Eduardo Mora González, arrested in Bogotá, and Katerine Andrea Martínez, arrested in Florencia, capital of the department of Caquetá.

Uribe “came out of surgery and his condition is extremely critical, characterized by persistent cerebral edema and intracerebral bleeding that is difficult to control,” the medical center's latest statement read. “The patient's condition is of the utmost seriousness,” it went on.

Earlier Monday, Uribe had “intracerebral bleeding,” requiring immediate surgery. After his admission to the clinic, he had improved slightly last Wednesday.