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Miguel Uribe Turbay

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Uribe and the second or maternal family name is Turbay.
Miguel Uribe Turbay
Uribe in 2019
Senator of Colombia
In office
20 July 2022 – 11 August 2025
Secretary of Government of Bogotá
In office
1 January 2016 – 22 October 2018
MayorEnrique Peñalosa
Preceded byGloria Flórez
Succeeded byJuan Miguel Durán
Bogotá City Councilor
In office
1 January 2012 – 31 December 2015
LeaderHoracio José Serpa
Personal details
Born
Miguel Uribe Turbay

(1986-01-28)28 January 1986
Bogotá, Colombia
Died11 August 2025(2025-08-11) (aged 39)
Bogotá, Colombia
Manner of deathAssassination by gunshot
Political partyDemocratic Centre (2021–2025)
Other political
affiliations
Spouse
María Claudia Tarazona
​
​
(m. 2016)​
Parents
Relatives
Education
Websitemigueluribe.com

Miguel Uribe Turbay (Spanish: [miˈɣel uˈɾiβe tuɾˈβaʝ]; 28 January 1986 – 11 August 2025) was a Colombian politician who served as a member of the Senate of Colombia from 2022 until his assassination in 2025. A member of the conservative Democratic Centre party, he had been seeking the party's nomination for the 2026 presidential election.

Uribe Turbay was the grandson of former president Julio César Turbay Ayala. On 7 June 2025, he was shot in an assassination attempt during a rally in Bogotá and died two months later, on 11 August.

Background

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Miguel Uribe Turbay was born in Bogotá, Colombia, in 1986, to Diana Turbay and Miguel Uribe Londoño. The prominent Turbay family [es] are descended from Lebanese immigrants who arrived in Colombia at the end of the 19th century.[2] His maternal grandfather, Julio César Turbay Ayala, the son of a Lebanese immigrant, served as president of Colombia from 1978 to 1982, while his maternal grandmother, Nydia Quintero Turbay, was a former first lady of Colombia.[2][3][4]

Uribe's mother, Diana Turbay, was a lawyer, journalist, and director of the news program Criptón.[2] In 1990, Diana Turbay was kidnapped by the Medellín Cartel and, in 1991, killed during a botched rescue attempt. Following his mother's death, Miguel Uribe Turbay was raised by his father, Miguel Uribe Londoño, a former Bogotá city councilor, Conservative Party senator, and head of the National Federation of Cocoa Growers.[5]

Uribe Turbay held a law degree and a master's in public policy from the University of the Andes, as well as a master's in public administration from the Harvard School of Government.[1]

Uribe was married to María Claudia Tarazona.[6]

Political career

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Bogotá City Councilor

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In 2012, Uribe was elected as a Bogotá city councilor at age 25 after campaigning alongside other Colombian Liberal Party politicians such as David Luna, Juan Manuel Galán, and Simón Gaviria (son of former president César Gaviria). In his first year as councilor, he was selected by journalists as "revelation councilor of the year," and later in 2014 became president of the District Council after receiving 32 of 45 available votes.[7]

He was characterized as one of the leading opponents of Bogotá mayor Gustavo Petro, criticizing his handling of the new garbage collection system and social programs.[8]

Secretary of Government

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In 2016, at age 30, he was appointed Secretary of Government under mayor Enrique Peñalosa, becoming the youngest Secretary of Government in Bogotá's history after receiving support from then-Vice President of the Republic Germán Vargas Lleras for the position.[9]

During his tenure as Secretary of Government, the homicide rate in Bogotá decreased slightly in 2018, while it increased nationwide for the first time in five years. However, in the first half of 2019, thefts increased by 17% and the perception of insecurity rose.[10][11]

In 2016, the Legal Office of Bogotá's Secretary of Government issued a legal opinion on the femicide of Rosa Elvira Cely that generated controversy for its victim-blaming tone. Uribe Turbay clarified that he was not consulted on this opinion and offered apologies to the Cely family.[12]

Mayoral candidacy for Bogotá

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In 2018, he resigned from his position as Secretary of Government to run for Mayor of Bogotá in 2019.[13] His candidacy was registered independently through the significant citizen movement "Avancemos" (Let's Move Forward), which obtained 400,000 signatures validated by the National Civil Registry.[14] His campaign was joined by various sectors and political parties including the Liberal Party, Conservative Party, Colombia Justa Libres, MIRA Party, and the Democratic Centre, which withdrew its support from then-candidate Ángela Garzón considering Uribe Turbay a more viable option.[15] His campaign proposal focused on defending Enrique Peñalosa's mayoral programs, especially the elevated Metro project, urbanizing the Thomas van der Hammen Forest Reserve, creating multimodal transportation systems, and generally continuing the infrastructure plan and proposals left by the previous administration.[16]

Uribe Turbay obtained 426,982 votes, finishing in fourth place, reflecting the low popularity of Peñalosa's administration, of which he had been one of the most visible officials. The mayoral election was ultimately won by Claudia López.[17]

Senate of the Republic

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On December 5, 2021, former President Álvaro Uribe announced that he would use his extraordinary powers as supreme leader of the Democratic Centre to designate Miguel Uribe Turbay as the head of the Senate list. This decision was accepted but not well received by more veteran party members such as María Fernanda Cabal and Paloma Valencia. Thanks to this position, Uribe Turbay was elected on March 13, 2022, as the most voted open-list senator in the country.[18]

Presidential pre-candidacy

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On March 4, 2025, Miguel Uribe Turbay officially announced his presidential pre-candidacy for his party, the Democratic Centre, to seek the presidency. Uribe faced María Fernanda Cabal, Paloma Valencia, Andrés Guerra, and Paola Holguín. According to polls conducted at the end of 2024, Miguel Uribe appeared as the collective's favorite, slightly surpassing Cabal. However, the other pre-candidates questioned the reliability of these polls.[19][20]

Assassination

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Main article: Assassination of Miguel Uribe Turbay

On 7 June 2025, Uribe Turbay was shot from behind during a rally at El Golfito Park in the Modelia neighborhood of Fontibón, Bogotá. The BBC reported that he was "shot three times – reportedly twice in the head".[21] After he was shot, a gunfight took place between his bodyguards and the gunman, who was shot in the foot.[22] Bystanders also beat the fleeing perpetrator before he was taken into custody.[23] Two other people were injured during the attack.[24] In the video footage recorded at the time of the suspect's arrest, he can be heard shouting, "I'm sorry, I did it for the money, for my family".[25]

Treatment and death

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Uribe Turbay was transported to Engativá Medical Center in west Bogotá.[26][27] Later that night, he was transported by ambulance to the Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá,[28] where chief neurosurgeon Dr. Fernando Hakim[29] led a combined neuro-surgical and peripheral-vascular operation. In a bulletin issued at 01:10 on 8 June, the hospital said that he had been admitted in critical condition.[30] The procedure was successful and Uribe Turbay left the operating theater alive. Despite showing signs of neurological improvement,[31] he remained in an "extremely serious" condition in the intensive-care unit following the initial surgery.[32][33][34] On 16 June, he underwent another emergency surgery due to bleeding in his brain.[35] On the early morning of 11 August, around two months after Turbay was shot, he died at a hospital in Bogotá at age 39.[36] August 12 was declared a day of national mourning in Colombia.[37]

Suspect

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The suspect, described as a 14-year-old boy, was detained.[5][38][39][40] Authorities indicated that they believed he was a contract killer hired by others. The suspect pled not guilty in court on 10 June.[41] On 13 June, Colombian prosecutors charged an alleged accomplice, who had turned himself in.[42] A man accused of being the mastermind of the shooting was arrested in Bogotá on 5 July 2025.[43]

See also

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Notes

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Miguel Uribe Turbay" (in Spanish). Senate of Colombia.
  2. ^ a b c Barbosa, Julieth (9 June 2025). "Quienes son la familia Turbay: Los detalles de los parientes de Miguel Uribe". 360 Radio. Archived from the original on 10 June 2025. Retrieved 10 June 2025.
  3. ^ "Quién es Miguel Uribe Turbay". La Silla Vacía (in Spanish). 20 March 2024.
  4. ^ "Quién es Miguel Uribe Turbay, el precandidato presidencial del partido de Álvaro Uribe en Colombia que fue baleado en un mitin en Bogotá". BBC Mundo. 8 June 2025. Archived from the original on 8 June 2025. Retrieved 8 June 2025.
  5. ^ a b "Uribe Turbay, el candidato cuyo atentado revive las horas más oscuras de la violencia política en Colombia". France 24. 8 June 2025. Retrieved 8 June 2025.
  6. ^ "Colombia presidential hopeful shot in head at rally". BBC. 8 June 2025. Retrieved 8 June 2025.
  7. ^ "Miguel Uribe Turbay – Centro Democrático". www.centrodemocratico.com. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  8. ^ Ortiz, María Paulina (11 August 2025). "Miguel Uribe Turbay: 'Pude haber crecido buscando venganza, pero decidí hacer lo correcto: perdonar'". El Tiempo (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  9. ^ Bermúdez, Unidad de Reportajes Multimedia, David Alejandro López (11 August 2025). "Miguel Uribe Turbay: la carrera pública que la violencia segó en Colombia". El Tiempo (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 August 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  10. ^ Rojas, Juan Carlos (12 January 2019). "Tras 5 años a la baja, homicidios subieron en el 2018". El Tiempo (in Spanish). Retrieved 11 August 2025.
  11. ^ "Aumenta el hurto en Bogotá". www.radionacional.co. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
  12. ^ Espectador, El (24 March 2020). "ELESPECTADOR.COM". ELESPECTADOR.COM (in Spanish). Retrieved 11 August 2025.
  13. ^ "Renunció el secretario de Gobierno Miguel Uribe Turbay | Bogota.gov.co". bogota.gov.co (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  14. ^ Malaver, Carol (11 March 2019). "Miguel Uribe radicará hoy 400 mil firmas en la Registraduría". El Tiempo (in Spanish). Retrieved 11 August 2025.
  15. ^ Torres, Alfonso Rico (23 July 2019). "[VIDEO] Ángela Garzón no se quedó sin aval tras video en que imitó a Uribe". www.lafm.com.co (in Spanish). Retrieved 11 August 2025.
  16. ^ Cabrera, Giselle Natalia Silva (12 February 2019). "Miguel Uribe Turbay va por 50 mil firmas para avalar su candidatura". El Tiempo (in Spanish). Retrieved 11 August 2025.
  17. ^ Semana (14 December 2019). "Balance del segundo gobierno de Peñalosa". Semana.com Últimas Noticias de Colombia y el Mundo (in Spanish). Retrieved 11 August 2025.
  18. ^ "Miguel Uribe Turbay será la cabeza de lista al Senado del Centro Democrático, por decisión de Álvaro Uribe". infobae (in European Spanish). 5 December 2021. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
  19. ^ Colombiano, El (12 November 2024). "Estalla crisis interna en el Centro Democrático: precandidatos cuestionan encuesta contratada a favor de Miguel Uribe". El Colombiano (in European Spanish). Retrieved 11 August 2025.
  20. ^ Espinosa, Por Daniel Esteban Reyes (13 November 2024). "María Fernanda Cabal siguió furiosa por encuesta que favorece a Miguel Uribe Turbay: "Esto es Injusto"". infobae (in European Spanish). Retrieved 11 August 2025.
  21. ^ "Colombia presidential hopeful shot in head at rally". BBC. 7 June 2025. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
  22. ^ Paula Naranjo (8 June 2025). "Atentado Miguel Uribe: así fue como el presunto sicario, de 14 años, intentó huir; se enfrentó a bala con las autoridades" [Miguel Uribe Turbay attack: how the 14-year-old alleged hitman tried to flee; he exchanged fire with authorities]. Infobae. Retrieved 8 June 2025.
  23. ^ Santanilla Ayala, Felipe (10 June 2025). "Presidente Petro revela que sicario del ataque a Miguel Uribe pidió que le consignaran en Nequi antes del atentado" [President Petro reveals that the hitman in the Miguel Uribe attack requested a Nequi transfer before the shooting]. El Tiempo. Retrieved 12 June 2025.
  24. ^ Jones, Sam (8 June 2025). "Shot Colombian presidential candidate survives emergency surgery". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 June 2025.
  25. ^ Diego Stacey (10 June 2025). "The young hitman who tried to kill Colombian senator Miguel Uribe: 'I'm sorry, I did it for the money, for my family'". El País. Retrieved 10 June 2025.
  26. ^ Trivedi, Naman (8 June 2025). "Colombian Presidential Candidate Miguel Uribe Turbay Shot During Campaign Event". Times Now. Retrieved 8 June 2025.
  27. ^ Naranjo, Paula (7 June 2025). "Atentado Miguel Uribe: capturaron al presunto sicario implicado en el ataque contra el precandidato presidencial" (in Spanish). Infobae. Retrieved 8 June 2025.
  28. ^ "Inicio". Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 June 2025.
  29. ^ "Dr. Fernando Hakim – Director, Departamento de Neurocirugía". Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 June 2025.
  30. ^ "Fundación Santa Fe revela que caso de senador Miguel Uribe reviste 'máxima gravedad'". Diario La República (in Spanish). 8 June 2025. Retrieved 9 June 2025.
  31. ^ Bocanegra, Nelson (11 June 2025). "Colombian senator Uribe shows signs of improvement after shooting". Reuters. Retrieved 13 June 2025.
  32. ^ Freixes, Josep (8 June 2025). "Attack in Colombia: Miguel Uribe is in Stable Condition but with Guarded Prognosis". Colombia One. Retrieved 8 June 2025.
  33. ^ Jones, Sam (8 June 2025). "Shot Colombian presidential candidate survives emergency surgery". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 June 2025.
  34. ^ "Colombian senator Uribe still in critical condition five days after shooting". Reuters. 12 June 2025. Retrieved 13 June 2025.
  35. ^ "Colombian senator in 'extremely critical condition' after being shot". BBC. 17 June 2025. Archived from the original on 17 June 2025. Retrieved 8 June 2025.
  36. ^ "Colombian Senator Miguel Uribe dies two months after being shot". 11 August 2025. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
  37. ^ [1]
  38. ^ "Quién es Miguel Uribe Turbay, el precandidato presidencial del partido de Álvaro Uribe en Colombia que fue baleado en un mitin en Bogotá". BBC Mundo. 8 June 2025. Retrieved 8 June 2025.
  39. ^ Glatsky, Genevieve; Turkewitz, Julie (8 June 2025). "Colombian Senator Miguel Uribe Is Shot at Campaign Event". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 8 June 2025.
  40. ^ Naranjo, Paula (7 June 2025). "Atentado Miguel Uribe: así fue como el presunto sicario, de 14 años, intentó huir; se enfrentó a bala con las autoridades" (in Spanish). Infobae. Retrieved 8 June 2025.
  41. ^ "Teen pleads 'not guilty' to shooting Colombian presidential candidate". France 24. 10 June 2025. Archived from the original on 10 June 2025. Retrieved 11 June 2025.
  42. ^ "Alleged accomplice of teen gunman in Miguel Uribe attack indicted in Colombia". Voz. 13 June 2025.
  43. ^ "Alleged mastermind behind shooting of Colombian senator and presidential candidate arrested". AP News. 6 July 2025.
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