Teen Suspect Pleads Not Guilty in Assassination Attempt on Colombian Senator Miguel Uribe
A 15-year-old boy accused of attempting to assassinate Colombian Senator and presidential candidate Miguel Uribe has pleaded not guilty to charges of attempted murder and illegal possession of a firearm, the country’s prosecutor’s office confirmed Tuesday.
Uribe, a 39-year-old conservative politician and vocal critic of President Gustavo Petro, remains in critical condition after being shot in the head during a campaign rally on Saturday in western Bogotá. The senator was reportedly addressing supporters when the teenage suspect opened fire, striking him twice in the head and once in the leg.
Authorities believe the boy acted as a “sicario,” or contract hitman, and was allegedly paid by a local drug trafficker to carry out the attack. Video footage verified by Reuters captured the suspect shouting during his arrest that he was motivated by money and had been hired. Another clip caught him saying, “I did it for the money, for my family.”
Despite these statements, the teenager entered a plea of not guilty in court. Under Colombian law, due to his age, he faces up to eight years in a juvenile rehabilitation center if convicted, rather than a prison sentence.
Senator Uribe, a prominent figure within the right-leaning opposition, underwent emergency surgery following the attack and is currently in intensive care. His wife, Maria Claudia Tarazona, spoke emotionally to reporters outside the hospital:
“There is no name for this – it’s not pain, it’s not horror, it’s not sadness.”
His father, Miguel Uribe Londono, thanked supporters and said the incident had sparked national unity.
“Miguel, amidst the pain and dismay that overwhelms us, has managed to unite this country in a single voice that rejects violence,” he said.
The motive behind the assassination attempt remains unclear. Uribe was trailing other candidates in the polls at the time of the shooting and had repeatedly criticized Petro’s peace strategy, which has focused on halting military offensives against armed groups despite stalled negotiations.
Uribe’s attorney, Víctor Mosquera, said his client had requested additional security prior to the attack. The head of Colombia’s National Protection Unit confirmed that Uribe had two government-assigned bodyguards with him when he was shot.
The attack on Uribe comes amid a resurgence of violence in Colombia. On Tuesday, bomb and gun attacks in the country’s southwest left at least seven dead. A car bomb exploded outside the City Hall in Corinto, Cauca Department, with authorities blaming a splinter group from the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
President Petro has suggested an international crime ring may be behind the assassination attempt but has yet to provide specific evidence. Interior Minister Armando Benedetti also hinted at a possible connection between rebel activity and the attack, citing increased drug trafficking by armed groups.
In response to the growing violence, Petro has ordered heightened security for public officials and opposition figures across the country.
With input from Al Jazeera
