A Colombian presidential candidate has been shot three times – reportedly twice in the head – at a campaign event in the capital, Bogota.
Miguel Uribe Turbay, 39, was attacked while addressing a small crowd in a park on Saturday. Police arrested a 15-year-old suspect at the scene, local media say.
His wife, Maria Claudia Tarazona, called on the nation to pray for his survival. “Miguel is currently fighting for his life. Let us ask God to guide the hands of the doctors who are treating him,” she said.
Uribe’s Centro Democratico party condemned the attack, saying that it “endangers the life of a political leader… democracy and freedom in Colombia”.
Phone footage shared online appears to show the moment when he was shot in the head mid-speech, prompting those gathered to flee in panic.
Paramedics said he had been shot in the knee and twice in the head, AFP news agency reported. He was airlifted to Sante Fe clinic where supporters have gathered outside to hold vigil.
The government of left wing President Gustavo Petro said it “categorically and forcefully” condemned the attack as an “act of violence not only against his person, but also against democracy.”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also condemned the shooting as a “direct threat to democracy”.
“This is a direct threat to democracy and the result of the violent leftist rhetoric coming from the highest levels of the Colombian government. Having seen firsthand Colombia’s progress over the past few decades to consolidate security and democracy, it can’t afford to go back to dark days of political violence. President Petro needs to dial back the inflammatory rhetoric and protect Colombian officials.
We stand in prayer with Miguel’s family, loved ones, and his supporters. Those responsible for this attack must face justice.”
Uribe announced his candidacy for next year’s presidential election in October.
He is from a prominent political family in Colombia, with links to the country’s Liberal Party. His father was a union leader and businessman.
His mother was Diana Turbay, a journalist who was killed in 1991 in a rescue attempt after she had been kidnapped by the Medellin drugs cartel run at the time by Pablo Escobar.
By BBC News
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