Credited from: LATINAMERICAREPORTS
Colombian presidential candidate Miguel Uribe Turbay was shot at a campaign event in Bogotá on Saturday, suffering multiple injuries including two gunshot wounds to the head. The 39-year-old senator is currently in critical condition after undergoing emergency surgery for his injuries, according to Bloomberg and Reuters.
During a rally in the Fontibon neighborhood of Bogotá, Uribe was shot from behind by a suspect who has since been identified as a minor, only 15 years old. Uribe collapsed and was promptly attended to by security personnel and medical staff. Videos showed him bleeding beside a car as he was rushed to a hospital where he underwent critical neurosurgical procedures, according to IndiaTimes and Reuters.
The suspected shooter was quickly apprehended, and law enforcement is investigating whether there were others involved in orchestrating the attack. The Colombian government has vowed to use all resources available to investigate the motives behind this attempted assassination, as noted by The New York Times and Los Angeles Times.
President Gustavo Petro condemned the violence as an attack against not just Uribe but against democracy in Colombia. The shocking incident has drawn strong responses from political leaders across the spectrum, illustrating the intensifying political polarization in the country, according to Al Jazeera and Reuters.
In the wake of the attack, vigils have been held across Colombia as citizens express solidarity with Uribe's family and call for political stability in the face of violence, noting a historic context of political assassinations in the country. This attack raises fears of a regression to previous violent eras in Colombian politics, as discussed by BBC and Channel News Asia.