Bogotá.- Colombian Senator Miguel Uribe Turbay, one of the main presidential pre-candidates of the right for the 2026 elections, was injured this Saturday in a shooting while participating in a political rally in the west of Bogotá.
At 39 years old, with an elite education and a last name that evokes both political power and the wounds of the Colombian conflict, Uribe Turbay is emerging as the face of generational renewal for Uribism, with whose leader, former President Álvaro Uribe (2002-2010), he is not related but with whom he shares a great affinity.
Lawyer from Universidad de los Andes, with master’s degrees in Public Policy from the same institution and in Public Administration from Harvard University, Uribe Turbay combines his family’s legacy with his own political career. He is the son of former Conservative councilman Miguel Uribe Londoño and journalist Diana Turbay, murdered in 1991 during a failed rescue when she was kidnapped by the Medellín cartel. He is also the grandson of former President Julio César Turbay Ayala, who governed Colombia between 1978–1982.His career began in the Bogotá City Council, where he arrived at the age of 26 for the Liberal Party. During the administration of Enrique Peñalosa as mayor (2016-2019), he was appointed Secretary of Government, becoming the youngest official to hold that position.
Political Life of Miguel Uribe
In 2019, Uribe Turbay unsuccessfully ran for Mayor of Bogotá, backed by a coalition that included the Liberal, Conservative, Democratic Center, MIRA, and Colombia Justa Libres parties.
However, in the 2022 legislative elections, he headed the list of the Democratic Center to the Senate and was the most voted of his caucus in the whole country, with more than 220,000 votes.
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Following the attack suffered this Saturday, the causes of which are still under investigation, the attacker was arrested at the scene. The event has reignited alerts about the increase in political violence in Colombia, just over a year before the presidential elections.
Miguel Uribe today represents a sector of the center-right electorate that seeks in him a replacement for the leadership of former President Álvaro Uribe.
With a speech focused on security, the defense of institutions, and criticism of populism, the young senator has begun to tour the country in pre-campaign mode, aware that his last name opens doors, but also imposes responsibilities.
