Colombian President Petro Pledges Justice After Teen Arrested in Shooting of Rival Miguel Uribe

Gustavo Petro, the president of Colombia, has promised to track down the shooter who wounded challenger Miguel Uribe in the head at a campaign event. Uribe is still in serious condition. At the scene, a 15-year-old was taken into custody with a 9mm handgun.

Gustavo Petro, the president of Colombia, has promised to do all in his power to find the people responsible for the attempted murder of opposition senator and presidential candidate Miguel Uribe. The 39-year-old conservative legislator is still in critical condition after being wounded on Saturday during a campaign event in Bogotá.

In a televised speech, Petro declared, “No resource should be spared—not a single peso or a single moment of energy—to find the mastermind… whether in Colombia or abroad.” He denounced the assault and demanded that the “intellectual authors” responsible for the shooting be found through an impartial inquiry.

An inquiry is ongoing after a teen carrying a gun was apprehended. A kid under the age of 15 was apprehended at the scene with a Glock 9mm pistol, according to authorities. According to Petro, the child’s involvement suggested that organised crime groups are increasingly using kids. “For now there is nothing more than a hypothesis,” the president said, adding that failures in security protocols would also be reviewed.

Senator undergoes emergency surgery

Uribe was shot in the head at a public park in the Fontibón neighbourhood and was taken to Santa Fe de Bogotá Foundation Hospital. According to the hospital, he had vascular and neurosurgery operations.

“Miguel is fighting for his life right now,” his wife, Maria Claudia Tarazona, wrote in an emotional post on his social media account. Let’s pray to God to direct the medical professionals who are caring for him. Later, Attorney General Luz Adriana Camargo affirmed that Uribe’s condition was still “stable but critical.”

Democratic center: ‘He was shot from behind’

The right-wing Democratic Centre, Uribe’s party, denounced the attack as “serious.” He was “shot from behind by armed subjects,” according to a party statement. There were no other details given regarding the attack’s nature.

As bystanders hurried to Uribe’s aid, videos that went viral on social media seemed to show him bleeding from his skull.

Public vigil and prayers outside hospital

Outside the hospital, Uribe’s supporters gathered to pray for his recovery and organise candlelight vigils. Numerous people screamed messages of sympathy and waved Colombian flags.

The attempted assassination was strongly condemned by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Rubio criticised Petro’s “inflammatory rhetoric” for fuelling political violence and declared, “The United States condemns in the strongest possible terms the attempted assassination of Senator Uribe.”

Government offers reward for information

A reward of over $730,000 has been offered by the Colombian government for any information that could identify the attackers.

Petro: ‘A mother lost, and a homeland’

Petro posted a heartfelt message on X, expressing condolences for Uribe’s family. “I’m not sure how to make you feel better. “It is the anguish of losing a mother and a homeland,” he wrote.

Senator from a tragic family history

Miguel Uribe is descended from a famous Colombian family. In 1990, armed thugs connected to drug kingpin Pablo Escobar abducted his mother, journalist Diana Turbay. The next year, she was killed during a rescue attempt.

Long shadow of violence in Colombian politics

In a nation still dealing with decades of strife between leftist rebels, right-wing paramilitary remnants, criminal gangs, and government forces, the attack on Uribe highlights the ongoing political bloodshed in Colombia.

Reiterating the appeal to maintain politics “free of violence,” President Petro cautioned that the incident might portend a risky return to politically driven violence.