Human Rights Watch Condemns Attack On Colombian Candidate Miguel Uribe Turbay

News Americas, New York, NY, June 11, 2025: Human Rights Watch has condemned the recent attack on Colombian congressman and presidential hopeful Miguel Uribe Turbay, describing it as a grave threat to democracy in the South American nation.

The June 7, 2025, attack occurred during a campaign event in Bogotá, where a 15-year-old allegedly shot and critically injured Uribe Turbay. The congressman, who is part of the right-wing Centro Democrático party, was addressing supporters in the lead-up to his party’s internal presidential selection process for the 2026 elections. He remains hospitalized in critical condition.

A woman lights a candle after Senator Miguel Uribe Turbay was shot and wounded in a political event last Saturday in Bogota on June 9, 2025. Doctors treating a Colombian presidential hopeful shot twice in the head by a would-be assassin warned he was not responding well to treatment Monday and that his condition remained grave. (Photo by Raul ARBOLEDA / AFP) (Photo by RAUL ARBOLEDA/AFP via Getty Images)

“The attack against Miguel Uribe Turbay is a chilling reminder of the darkest chapters of political violence in Colombia,” said Juanita Goebertus, Americas director at Human Rights Watch. “Colombian authorities should investigate this heinous crime, avoid incendiary political rhetoric, and strengthen protections for all political candidates.”

The upcoming May 2026 presidential elections come at a time when Colombia is grappling with escalating violence and a growing presence of illegal armed groups in remote areas. Since the 2016 peace deal, the country has seen a 20.9% rise in homicides and a 34.8% increase in kidnappings. Mass forced displacements have quadrupled, and cases of communities trapped by violence have increased more than tenfold. Colombia continues to be the deadliest country in the world for human rights defenders.

Uribe Turbay’s family has a painful history with political violence. His mother, journalist Diana Turbay, was kidnapped by drug lord Pablo Escobar in 1990 and died during a failed rescue in 1991. The nation also recalls the assassinations of presidential candidates Luis Carlos Galán, Bernardo Jaramillo Ossa, and Carlos Pizarro Leongómez during the 1990 election cycle.

In 2023, Colombia’s Electoral Observation Mission reported 176 violent incidents against candidates, including six assassinations.

Authorities captured the teenager accused in the shooting a few blocks from the scene. The firearm, a Glock-type pistol, was reportedly purchased in the United States, and investigators are working to trace its path into Colombia.

Human Rights Watch has called for a comprehensive and impartial investigation into the attack, urging protection for the suspect and his family, and warning against premature speculation that could compromise the probe.

Colombian Interior Minister Luis Fernando Velasco has convened state institutions and political parties to address candidate security. However, Uribe Turbay’s legal team claims repeated requests to enhance his security detail were denied by the National Protection Unit.

Human Rights Watch is pressing for stronger protective measures for all presidential candidates, including a reassessment of threat levels, enhanced intelligence operations, and coordinated institutional response mechanisms.