Colombia is no stranger to political violence, having been wracked for decades by a civil war between right-wing and leftist paramilitary groups.

Yet another example of bloodshed came this past weekend when a shooting left senator and conservative presidential candidate Miguel Uribe fighting for his life. 

Senator was "shot from behind" at a presidential rally in Bogota

According to the New York Post, Uribe was shot while appearing at a presidential campaign event that was being held on Saturday in the Fontibon neighborhood of Colombia's capital city.

Right-wing Colombian presidential candidate, senator shot during campaign rally https://t.co/jC6fXbXDYk pic.twitter.com/4qVMmnKPtm

— New York Post (@nypost) June 8, 2025

The newspaper cited a statement from the Colombian Attorney General’s Office, which explained that "a minor under 15 years of age was arrested carrying a Glock pistol-type firearm (9mm)."

Uribe is a member of the conservative opposition party known as Democratic Center, and the organization put out a statement of its own which said the lawmaker had been targeted by "armed subjects" who "shot him from behind."

Colombia's president: "No resource should be spared" in finding those responsible

Meanwhile, CNN reported that Colombian President Gustavo Petro declared that his government would find those responsible for Uribe's assassination attempt.

"No resource should be spared, not a single peso or a single moment of energy, to find the mastermind … Wherever they live, whether in Colombia or abroad," the president asserted.

An earlier statement from Petro's office read, "This act of violence is an attack not only against the senator’s personal integrity, but also against democracy, freedom of thought, and the legitimate exercise of politics in Colombia."

Maria Claudia Tarazona is Uribe's wife, and she informed reporters that her husband "came out well from the surgery" but was still "fighting for his life."

Uribe's late mother died after being kidnapped by drug traffickers in 1990

Meanwhile, Uribe's mother was journalist Diana Turbay. She was kidnapped in 1990 on the orders of notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar and died a year later during a failed rescue attempt.

CNN recalled how Uribe addressed his mother's killing in October of last year while discussing his thoughts on running for president.

"I could have grown up seeking revenge, but I decided to do the right thing: forgive, but never forget," the legislator told supporters.