"Initial Surgery Successful"...Colombian Presidential Candidate Survives Shooting Attack

Shot Three Times in the Head and Knee
Authorities Announce Arrest of 15-Year-Old Suspect

Miguel Uribe Turbay, a Colombian opposition presidential candidate and senator, who collapsed after being shot in the head during a street campaign, has reportedly undergone initial surgery without complications. On June 8 (local time), Yonhap News, citing AFP and other foreign media, reported that Senator Uribe underwent surgery on his head and left thigh and is currently in the intensive care unit.

Police are guarding the scene at a park in the Pontibon area on the 7th, where Woo Rae, a member of the centrist Democratic Party with conservative leanings, was shot. Photo by AP Yonhap News

On the same day, Maria Claudia Tarazona, wife of Senator Uribe, and Santa Fe Foundation Hospital, which was in charge of his treatment, issued a statement. In the statement, local neurosurgeon Lamberto Burgos said, "Because the patient is under sedation, it is impossible to predict his level of consciousness or whether there is any paralysis. We will only know after 72 hours. However, he received immediate medical attention after the shooting, and his prognosis is positive."

Previously, Senator Uribe, a member of the centrist Democratic Party with conservative leanings, was shot three times during a campaign rally at a park in the Pontibon area on the 7th, with two bullets aimed at his head. The Colombian Prosecutor's Office identified and arrested a boy under the age of 15 as the perpetrator after the incident. The boy was in possession of a 9mm Glock pistol. Gustavo Petro, President of Colombia, strongly condemned the incident, stating, "I absolutely and firmly oppose this," and called for a thorough investigation. The reason Senator Uribe was targeted remains unknown. Pedro Sanchez, Colombia's Minister of Defense, announced that the authorities are investigating who was behind the shooting and that a reward of up to $720,000 (about 1 billion won) will be offered for decisive information regarding the case.

Maria Claudia Tarazona, wife of Congressman Uribe, and Santa Fe Foundation Hospital, which was in charge of the treatment, have issued a statement. Photo by AFP Yonhap News

Meanwhile, Senator Uribe Turbay is a member of the centrist Democratic Party with conservative leanings, led by former President Alvaro Uribe, and has declared his candidacy for the Colombian presidential election scheduled for next year. Although his surname is similar to that of former President Uribe, they are not related by blood. He has been a vocal critic of the left-leaning ruling party under President Petro. His mother, Diana Turbay, is also well known as a journalist who was kidnapped and killed by the drug cartel led by the notorious 'drug lord' Pablo Escobar in Colombia during the 1990s.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.