President Gustavo Petro speaks about the attack on Miguel Uribe: he promises to find the mastermind behind it.

President Gustavo Petro spoke in a speech following the attack on Senator and pre-candidate Miguel Uribe of the Democratic Center. President Gustavo Petro spoke in a speech following the attack on Senator and pre-candidate Miguel Uribe of the Democratic Center. "It is a day of pain for the nation, for its soul. The first thing we have to do is pray and come together," said the Colombian president at the beginning of his message.

Along these lines, the president pledged to "guarantee the utmost transparency from the State in its jurisdiction to reach the masterminds behind the attempted murder." Petro emphasized that Miguel Uribe is still alive and "all our efforts are focused on keeping him alive. The first line of action is with the professionals."

"What is most important today is that all Colombians focus with the energy of our hearts on keeping Miguel Uribe Turbay alive. That is the priority, ensuring that the assassin has not fulfilled his duty," Petro stated. The president did not overlook the ideological differences with Miguel Uribe, but said that no issue can justify violent action.

"Whatever your position, you are, first and foremost, a person and therefore have the absolute right to live. Everything we do is aimed at ensuring that you can continue living," said Petro. The Colombian president criticized the exploitation of violent action as part of the upcoming political contest in 2026.

Gustavo Petro spoke about the alleged murderer, who is believed to be a minor: "The laws oblige us to protect children because they are children, because if we don't protect children, we will have no country." Along these lines, he indicated that all the tools are in place to investigate the crime and determine the masterminds.

"They have to focus on identifying the mastermind behind the murder. No resources should be spared. Find the mastermind by name, wherever they live, whether in Colombia or abroad," he asserted. He then added: "The State is putting everything at the service of life."

President Petro spoke of the seriousness of the crime, given that it targeted a member of the opposition. "When a political leader is killed, a whirlwind of violence can erupt if we allow our hearts to be filled with violence, because political hatred has killed us Colombians," he stated.

There was an acknowledgement of possible shortcomings by Uribe's security detail. "A security failure. Protocols that were undoubtedly breached. There will be those responsible, starting with those responsible for his security. The State's duty is to protect, especially members of the opposition, because if they don't have freedom and life, Colombia won't have freedom and life," he stated.

The president spoke of alleged surveillance by the alleged perpetrator of the crime. "They were following him. We couldn't arrest him until afterward. It's a failure of the government, the state, and the nation. Every time they try to kill a son of the nation, society is defeated," he declared.

Hours earlier, the President's Office announced that the president was canceling his international agenda, which he was planning to visit in France, where he was scheduled to attend the UN Ocean Summit. In addition, the President and his government issued several statements condemning the act of political violence.

In a tweet, President Gustavo Petro condemned the attack and at the same time recalled the attack that cost the life of journalist Diana Turbay, mother of Senator Uribe. “Oh, Colombia and its eternal violence. They want to kill the son of an Arab woman in Bogotá, whom they had already murdered, and one should not kill in the heart of the world. They are killing both the son and the mother,” the presidential message reads.

Gustavo Petro added: "My solidarity with the Uribe family and the Turbay family. I don't know how to ease their pain. It is the pain of a lost mother and homeland." This tweet was preceded by a statement in which the presidential communications team was more vehement in its condemnation of the violent actions against the opposition senator.

"The National Government categorically and forcefully rejects the attack that recently targeted Senator Miguel Uribe Turbay," reads the presidential message, which was not signed by the president.

"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. Any act that seeks to silence those who participate in public life through intimidation or violence is unacceptable and deserves the deepest condemnation from the State and the citizenry," the statement reads.

In the same message, the government reiterated its commitment to protecting political and social leaders and the rest of the citizenry. “Peace, coexistence, and respect for differences are fundamental pillars for building a just and democratic society,” the Petro administration officially declared. “We express our solidarity with Senator Uribe Turbay, his family, his team, and his colleagues in the Congress of the Republic. We call on the competent authorities to immediately and rigorously carry out the necessary investigations that will lead to identifying and prosecuting those responsible for this attack,” reads another section of the statement.

At the end of that statement, a call was made to the various sectors "to surround our institutions with unity and reject any form of political violence. Only through dialogue, legality, and respect for life can we move toward a more equitable and peaceful country."

Meanwhile, Defense Minister Pedro Arnulfo Sánchez reported that he was at the clinic where Senator Uribe was initially taken and announced the arrest of one of those involved: "We are verifying whether there are more people involved." He also announced that there was a reward of up to 3 billion pesos for information leading to clarification of the events surrounding the violent incident.

"I have ordered the Military Forces, Police, and intelligence agencies to deploy all their capabilities to urgently clarify the events. In the coming minutes, we will hold an extraordinary meeting with the military and police leadership to outline a strategy to address this situation," added the Defense Minister in Gustavo Petro's administration.

Foreign Minister Laura Sarabia was one of the first voices within the Executive branch to condemn the attack on Miguel Uribe: "Violence can never be the way forward. I emphatically reject the attack on Miguel Uribe," the Foreign Minister said. Sarabia extended her best wishes to the Uribe candidate.

Agriculture Minister Martha Carvajalino also expressed her condemnation of the violent actions. "Our complete solidarity with Senator Miguel Uribe. No one should be held accountable for defending their ideas and participating in politics. We hope for his speedy recovery and swift action by the justice system," Carvajalino said.

Interior Minister Armando Benedetti joined the messages of support for the senator's life. "Solidarity with Miguel Uribe and his family in this difficult time. I have the utmost affection for Miguel; I have known him since he was very young. We reject acts of violence," he declared. The Interior Minister also pledged to guarantee security for each of the candidates who will appear on the 2026 ballots.

Juan Sebastian Lombo Delgado