Colombian senator Miguel Uribe shot at campaign event

BOGOTA, Colombia — A conservative Colombian senator, presidential hopeful and grandson of a former president was shot from behind at a campaign event Saturday in the capital, Bogotá, according to his party.

The shooting of the senator, Miguel Uribe Turbay, by unknown perpetrators comes amid escalating political tension in the country as the country’s leftist president, Gustavo Petro, tries to pass a labor reform opposed by Uribe and other conservatives.

Conflict between armed groups also continues to plague the country, though it has taken place mostly in the countryside.

Uribe’s condition and a motive for the shooting were not immediately clear.

In a statement, his party, the Democratic Center, called the event “an unacceptable act of violence.”

“We energetically reject this attack that not only endangers the life of a political leader, but also threatens democracy and freedom in Colombia,” the party added.

Petro also expressed his concern on social media.

“My solidarity with the Uribe family and the Turbay family,” he wrote. “I don’t know how to ease their pain.”

A video verified by The New York Times shows Uribe delivering a speech and then wincing after apparently being shot. Videos recorded in the same location shortly afterward show Uribe bleeding from the head while bystanders compress the wound and then carry him away.

Uribe had declared his intention to seek his party’s nomination in next year’s presidential election. He was not considered a leading candidate.

One suspect had been detained as of Saturday at 8 p.m. local time, according to Pedro Sánchez, the defense minister.

“We are checking to see if there are any other people involved,” Sánchez said on the social platform X, offering a reward of up to 3 billion Colombian pesos ($730,000) for any information leading to the capture of the perpetrators.

He said that he had ordered the military, the national police and intelligence agencies “to deploy all their capabilities to urgently clarify the facts,” and that he would soon hold a meeting to determine a strategy moving forward.

“This attack pains us,” he added. “It mobilizes us to redouble our efforts to protect life, guarantee free political participation, and deliver justice.”

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

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