Petro: “Miguel’s death grieves us as if he were one of our own. It’s a defeat.”
Colombian senator and presidential candidate Miguel Uribe died this Monday at the age of 39 after the attack on June 7 during a campaign event in the town of Fontibón, on the outskirts of the capital, Bogotá.
The Santa Fe de Bogotá Foundation reported that the senator died at 1:56 a.m. (local time) and emphasized that the team in charge of his care has worked “tirelessly during these more than two months since he was admitted with serious injuries.”
“Despite all efforts, this is a sad outcome, and we express our solidarity with Uribe Turbay’s entire family in this moment of profound pain,” reads a statement from the hospital signed by the medical director, Adolfo Llinás, and the general director, Henry Gallardo.
Uribe Turbay’s wife, Maria Claudia Tarazona, mourned her husband’s death in a message on her Telegram channel accompanied by a photo of them together: “You will always be the love of my life. Thank you for a life full of love, thank you for being a father to the girls, the best father to Alejandro.”
His remains will arrive at the Elliptical Hall of the Colombian Congress, where he will lie in state from 3:00 p.m. until Wednesday morning. He will then be transferred to the Primate Cathedral, where the funeral will take place. Bogotá, for its part, has declared three days of mourning in honor of “his life and his service” to the city “as a citizen, councilor, and Secretary of Government.”
POLITICAL REACTIONS
Colombian President Gustavo Petro has expressed his “deepest condolences” to the senator’s family, as well as to the Colombian people, emphasizing that “life is above any ideology” and regretting that during his term “an attack with a tragic outcome against an opposition senator occurred.”
“Miguel’s death pains us as if he were one of our own. It is a defeat. Every time a Colombian is murdered, it is a defeat for Colombia and for life. Therefore, what remains is to grieve and move forward,” he stated through his profile on the social network X, where he stated that “the government must repudiate the crime and help.”
Thus, he promised that his administration has not “persecuted any member of the opposition,” nor will it do so. “For us, who have been persecuted and our friends murdered, that is one of our priorities. Revenge is not Colombia’s path. We have endured decades of violence because of revenge. Nothing more,” he stated.
Petro asserted that he “wanted to establish a new paradigm, even a theoretical one,” in his administration, “by placing the project of caring for and expanding life as the number one priority among the objectives to be achieved and as the structuring axis of” the entire country. “Precisely in a country that experiences an immense paradox: being the area with the greatest natural and human diversity on the planet and, at the same time, being one of the countries with the most violence,” he maintained.
Colombian Vice President Francia Márquez offered her condolences for Uribe’s death and stated that “democracy is not built with bullets or blood.” “We cannot allow fear and hatred to continue to rob us of life and hope,” she stated.
For his part, former President Álvaro Uribe has stated that “evil destroys everything.” “They killed hope. May Miguel’s struggle be a light that illuminates Colombia’s right path,” he stated in a brief message published on X.
Numerous Colombian politicians and institutions, including the Bogotá Mayor’s Office, the Attorney General’s Office, and the Ministry of Justice, have expressed their condolences for the death of the senator, who had been hospitalized at the Santa Fe Foundation Hospital since the June attack.
From Washington, Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed his “deep sadness” at his “tragic death.” “The United States stands in solidarity with his family and the Colombian people, both in their mourning and in demanding justice for those responsible,” he said.
The Organization of American States (OAS) also expressed its condolences for the death of Uribe Turbay in a statement highlighting his “dedication” to democratic principles, public service, and the defense of his beliefs, which “made him a respected voice in the political life” of the country and “a valuable member of the inter-American democratic community.”
“Su trágica muerte, producto de un acto de violencia, representa una pérdida profunda para Colombia y para todos quienes creen en el diálogo, la tolerancia y la resolución pacífica de las diferencias”, ha manifestado la Secretaría General de la OEA, que ha reafirmado su compromiso de apoyar a Colombia en la protección de sus instituciones democráticas y el fortalecimiento del Estado de derecho”.
La Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá anunció el sábado que el precandidato presidencial colombiano había empeorado debido a una hemorragia en el sistema nervioso central. El equipo del hospital decidió mantenerle bajo una “sedación profunda para contribuir a su evolución”, según su último parte médico.
El intento de asesinato se produjo el pasado 7 de junio en la localidad de Fontibón, en Bogotá, la capital del país, durante un acto de campaña. Uribe salió gravemente herido tras sufrir dos disparos en la cabeza y uno en la pierna. Desde entonces se encontraba hospitalizado.
La Fiscalía de Colombia confirmó que al menos diez personas estuvieron involucradas en la preparación y ejecución del atentado. Varias personas fueron detenidas por el caso, entre ellas el presunto autor intelectual del intento de asesinato, Elder José Arteaga Hernández, alias ‘El Costeño’, y el adolescente de 15 años que perpetró los disparos.
El Ministerio Público, que ha calificado de magnicidio el fallecimiento del senador, ha asegurado que desde el 7 de junio desplegó “todas” sus capacidades “para avanzar y consolidar la investigación”. “Continúa el compromiso de identificar y judicializar a los determinadores de este crimen, tarea en la que no se descarta ninguna hipótesis. Trabajamos sin descanso con ese objetivo, en cumplimiento de nuestro deber”, ha agregado.
