Colombian Presidential Candidate Shot Twice in Head at Campaign Rally

A Colombian presidential hopeful, Miguel Uribe Turbay, is in critical condition after being shot at a campaign event in Bogota on Saturday.

The 39-year-old candidate was struck three times, reportedly twice in the head, by a gunman while addressing a small crowd in a park in the capital.

Colombian police arrested a suspect at the scene. Uribe was rushed to hospital, where he remains in critical condition, according to local media reports.

Uribe’s political party, Centro Democratico, condemned the attack, describing it as a grave threat to both the life of a political leader and to democracy in Colombia.

Footage circulating online appears to capture the shocking moment when Uribe was shot in the head mid-speech, prompting panic among the gathered crowd.

Paramedics confirmed that Uribe had been shot three times, with two bullets striking his head, according to AFP news agency.

The government of left-wing President Gustavo Petro strongly denounced the attack, calling it “an act of violence not only against his person, but also against democracy.”

Uribe, a prominent figure in Colombia’s political establishment, announced his candidacy for the 2026 presidential election in October.

He is the son of Diana Turbay, a journalist who was killed in 1991 during a failed rescue attempt after being kidnapped by the Medellin drug cartel, which was then led by Pablo Escobar.

As the country reels from the attack, concerns are mounting about the safety of political candidates and the broader implications for Colombia’s fragile democracy.