Colombian Senator Miguel Uribe Turbay, a possible candidate in next year's presidential elections, was shot and wounded at a campaign rally in Bogotá on Saturday, officials say.
His party, the conservative Democratic Centre, issued a statement calling the incident "an unacceptable act of violence".
The attack occurred in a park in the Fontibon neighbourhood when armed assailants shot him in the back, said the Democratic Centre party, the party of former president Alvaro Uribe (no relation to Miguel Uribe).
Images circulating on social media show Uribe, 39, covered in blood and held by several people. A medical statement from the Fundación Santa Fe hospital said the senator was admitted in critical condition and is undergoing a "neurosurgical and peripheral vascular procedure".
"Miguel is fighting for his life," his wife, María Claudia Tarazona, wrote on the senator's X account, asking Colombians to pray for him.
The Attorney General's Office, which is investigating the attack, said the senator was shot twice in the attack, which also left two other people injured. According to the entity's statement, a 15-year-old was arrested at the scene with a firearm.
The Colombian government announced that it is offering a reward for the capture of all those responsible.
"Respect life, that is the red line," wrote President Gustavo Petro in a message on his X account. Shortly after that post, Petro cancelled a planned trip to France "due to the seriousness of the events", according to a presidential statement.
Late Saturday night, after leading an extraordinary session of the Security Council, the first leftist president in Colombia's history promised "total transparency" in the investigation and to get to the intellectual authors of the attack. He also announced an investigation into possible lapses in the senator's security detail.
Son of a journalist who was kidnapped and murdered
Uribe Turbay is the son of a journalist who was kidnapped and murdered in 1991 during one of the country's most violent periods.
Colombia will hold presidential elections on 31 May 2026, at the end of Petro's term. The senator announced his presidential candidacy in March.
The director of the National Police, General Carlos Triana, said that at the time of the attack, Uribe Turbay was accompanied by councillor Andrés Barrios and 20 other people.
A minor who allegedly participated in the attack was apprehended at the scene and was being treated for a leg injury, he said.
Reactions were swift across Latin America. Chilean President Gabriel Boric said that "there is no space or justification for violence in a democracy", while the president of Ecuador, Daniel Noboa, stated that "we condemn all forms of violence and intolerance". Both presidents offered their solidarity to the senator's family.
