“Respect for life is the red line,” said Colombian President Gustavo Petro after the attack on right-wing presidential hopeful Miguel Uribe Turbay.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro — a former guerrilla fighter and long-time advocate for peace — on Saturday condemned what he described as the political weaponization of the assassination attempt against Senator Miguel Uribe Turbay, and called on Colombian society to firmly reject violence as a tool for electoral advantage.

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Uribe Turbay, 39, is a senator from the right-wing Democratic Center party and a prominent figure in the conservative opposition, with aspirations to run for president in 2026. He is the grandson of former President Julio César Turbay Ayala (1978–1982), who governed during a turbulent period of political violence, and the son of journalist Diana Turbay, who was killed in 1991 during a botched rescue mission after her kidnapping by Pablo Escobar’s cartel.

On June 7, while greeting supporters at a public gathering in Fontibón, Bogotá, Uribe was shot multiple times from behind — including once in the head. According to Colombia’s National Police, a minor was arrested as the alleged shooter and is currently receiving medical attention. Two other people were injured in the incident, and the weapon was recovered by authorities.

Petro sharply criticized what he called “a repetition of political violence involving the use of minors to intimidate society.” He also announced that internal investigations were underway to determine if there were failures in Uribe’s security detail. “Right now, we have only hypotheses. First, we must investigate our own team. Was the candidate’s security adequate? The event wasn’t even on the schedule,” he stated.

In a nationally televised address, Petro stressed that government efforts were focused entirely on saving Uribe’s life. “I hope Miguel Uribe Turbay survives — that’s what I want above all. And I believe that’s how the entire country should feel,” he said.

“Political violence has stained this country’s history with blood, through the killing of its leaders,” Petro warned. The attack has revived fears of past political assassinations — such as the murder of Luis Carlos Galán in 1989 — and mirrors a disturbing rise in political violence since the 2016 peace accords.

Colombia has already seen dozens of political and social leaders murdered in 2025 alone, with increasing reports of targeted attacks and the re-emergence of so-called “Plan Pistola” ambushes, which have killed at least 27 police officers through May.

Should Uribe succumb to his injuries, the implications for Colombia would be profound — not only reigniting a national moral crisis around political violence, but also destabilizing the pre-electoral landscape, deepening polarization, and undermining trust in democratic institutions.

In a message posted on X (formerly Twitter), Petro also referred to the personal legacy of violence faced by Uribe’s family. “Ah, Colombia and its eternal violence. They want to kill the son of an Arab woman in Bogotá — a woman who had already been murdered. And no one should be murdered in the heart of the world. They killed the mother, and now the son. Respect life — that is the red line. Colombia must not kill its children, because they are also Colombia.”

Figures from across the political spectrum have expressed solidarity with Uribe and his family. Vice President Francia Márquez stated, “Democracy cannot be built on hate or fear, but with tolerance, respect, and dialogue.” Meanwhile, the National Electoral Council (CNE) warned that the attack “represents a serious threat to the integrity of a political leader and to the democratic principles of the country.”

In an emergency meeting of the Security Council, Defense Minister Iván Velásquez announced a reward of up to 3 billion pesos (around $780,000) for information leading to those responsible. Security and judicial forces have been mobilized to investigate the attack and dismantle any networks behind it.

At the same time, the ruling Historic Pact coalition convened an urgent meeting among all political parties, calling for national unity against political violence.

In his closing remarks, Petro reminded the nation that Colombia must be a country of welcome — not exclusion: “Colombia welcomes the world, and it does not kill those who come from every corner of the planet,” he said, expressing his solidarity with the Uribe and Turbay families.

Responsibility now falls on Petro’s administration to ensure the protection of all political actors — including opposition figures — and to restore public trust in the state. The attack on Uribe Turbay, along with the weight of his political legacy, underscores the urgent need to defend political life in Colombia and strengthen democratic safeguards to prevent the country from sliding back into cycles of violence it had begun to overcome.

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