Senator and presidential pre-candidate Miguel Uribe Turbay was shot in the head during a rally in Bogotá and remains hospitalized in extremely critical condition.
Colombian Senator Miguel Uribe Turbay, pre-candidate for the presidency of the country, shot during a rally in Bogotá on Saturday night (7), remains hospitalized in extremely critical condition. According to the medical bulletin released by Fundación Santa Fé hospital, where he underwent surgery in the early hours of Sunday, Uribe was hit by shots to the head and knee, arriving at the hospital in “critical condition.” He underwent a neurosurgical procedure and a peripheral vascular procedure. “He was operated on in the head and left thigh, and taken to the ICU,” the hospital reported.
The senator’s wife, María Claudia Tarazona, reported that the first surgery “went well,” but warned of the gravity of the situation: “Every hour is a critical hour. He fought his first battle and it went well. This will take time.”
The attack occurred in a park in the Fontibón neighborhood during a campaign activity. According to the Centro Democrático party, to which Uribe is affiliated, “armed men shot him in the back.” Colombia’s Attorney General’s Office, responsible for the investigations, stated that Uribe was hit by two shots and that two other people were also injured in the attack.
A 15-year-old teenager was apprehended at the scene with a firearm and is identified as the main suspect in carrying out the shooting.
The commotion caused by the attack led supporters of the senator to the streets of the Colombian capital in solidarity demonstrations. Colombia’s president, Gustavo Petro, ordered the opening of an investigation and repudiated the crime.
The condemnation also came through an official government statement. “The National Government categorically and vehemently condemns the attack that recently targeted Senator Miguel Uribe Turbay. This act of violence constitutes an attack not only on the personal integrity of the senator, but also on democracy, freedom of thought, and the legitimate exercise of politics in Colombia,” the text states.
The Defense Minister, Pedro Sánchez, described the attack as “unacceptable” and announced a reward of around US$ 700,000 for information that helps identify and capture all those responsible.
The attack reverberated beyond Colombia. Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through an official note, repudiated “any form of violence” and expressed solidarity with the Colombian people. “The Brazilian government strongly condemns the attack against Senator Miguel Uribe Turbay in Bogotá (…),” declared the Itamaraty.
The U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, also spoke out: “The United States vehemently condemns the assassination attempt on Colombian Senator Miguel Uribe.”
The attack on Uribe revives painful memories of Colombia’s political history. In the last 50 years, three presidential candidates were assassinated: Luiz Carlos Galán in 1989; Bernardo Jaramillo Ossa and Carlos Pizarro Leongómez, both in 1990. Álvaro Uribe, former president and grandfather of Miguel Uribe, was also the target of assassination attempts during his political career. Miguel Uribe is the grandson of former president Julio César Turbay Ayala and son of journalist Diana Turbay, who was kidnapped and killed by the Medellín Cartel.
Fonte: www.brasil247.com