MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Colombian Senator Uribe Turbay dies, aged 39

Uribe Turbay belonged to a family with a long and tragic history in Colombian politics

Colombian Senator and presidential hopeful Miguel Uribe Turbay died early Monday as a result of the gunshots he received during a political rally on June 7, for which he had been hospitalized since.

 “Our love transcends this physical plane. Wait for me, because when I fulfill my promise to our children, I will come for you and we will have our second chance,” wrote his wife, María Claudia Tarazona, as she confirmed the news on social media.

Uribe Turbay's health had deteriorated early Saturday morning. After a scheduled early morning procedure, he had suffered “acute intracerebral bleeding” that required another surgery. In the afternoon, the clinic reported that the senator's condition was “extremely critical” due to “persistent cerebral edema” and “intracerebral bleeding that was difficult to control.”

Former presidents expressed their grief.

“Evil destroys everything; they killed hope,” said former President Álvaro Uribe Vélez - not related - (2002-2010), leader of the late lawmaker's Democratic Center party.

“Colombia mourns, but it will not surrender to the criminals who took the life of an admirable young man,” Iván Duque (2018-2022) said.

The attack occurred on June 7 while Uribe was giving a speech in Bogotá. An assailant shot him three times, with two bullets striking his head. Despite receiving immediate medical attention, he succumbed to his injuries. The attacker was apprehended, and the government has offered a reward of 3 billion Colombian pesos for information on those responsible for the crime.

Uribe, 39, belonged to a family with a long and tragic history in Colombian politics. He was the son of journalist Diana Turbay, who was killed in a failed military rescue operation after being kidnapped by the Medellín Cartel in 1991. His grandfather was former Colombian President Julio César Turbay Ayala (1978-1982)

In 2022, he was elected to the Senate. He previously held several public offices, including Bogotá City Council member (2012–2015) and government secretary of the country's capital, where he also ran for mayor in 2019 but lost.

In the 1980s and 1990s, at least five presidential candidates were assassinated by cartels, paramilitaries, or political opponents, including Luis Carlos Galán in 1989, who was known for his strong anticorruption stance and opposition to drug trafficking.