Powerful 6.3 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Colombia, Causing Panic in Bogotá

Miguel Uribe, a 39-year-old Colombian senator and presidential candidate, is in intensive care after being shot during a campaign event in Bogotá on Saturday. Video footage shows Uribe delivering a speech when gunshots rang out, leading to chaos. Local media reported that he was struck at least once in the neck or head, as he was seen slumped against a car amidst a crowd trying to assist him. Authorities confirmed that a 15-year-old suspect has been arrested in connection with the shooting. Attorney General Luz Adriana Camargo stated to Caracol Radio that Uribe's condition remains serious. The leftist government of President Gustavo Petro condemned the attack, stating that it threatens not only Uribe's life but also democracy in Colombia. Uribe, a member of the Democratic Center party and a prominent critic of Petro, plans to run in the 2026 presidential election. His political lineage includes connections to former President Julio Cesar Turbay. In a response to the incident, Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez announced a reward of approximately $700,000 for information leading to further details about the attack.

Maria Jose Estupinan Sanchez, a 22-year-old social media influencer from Colombia, was fatally shot outside her home in Cucuta on May 15, 2025. Authorities suspect her ex-boyfriend may be involved in the incident, following a recent legal victory that secured her 30 million COP (approximately $8,000) in a domestic abuse case against him, according to local reports from Noticias Caracol and Canal TRO. Witnesses reported that a man, posing as a delivery agent, approached Sanchez while claiming to deliver a gift. Security footage shows him shooting her at point-blank range before fleeing the scene. Despite being transported to a hospital, Sanchez sadly succumbed to her injuries. Prominent figures, including Magda Victoria Acosta, president of the National Gender Commission of the Judicial Branch, condemned the murder, describing it as a tragic loss. The case has drawn significant public attention, highlighting the ongoing issue of femicide in Colombia. As of now, no arrests have been made, and authorities continue to investigate.

The recent murder of 32-year-old trans woman Sara Millerey in Bello, Antioquia, has sent shockwaves through Colombia's LGBTQ+ community. Millerey, who began her gender transition at 15, was brutally assaulted and thrown into a creek, where she drowned on April 5, 2025. Her mother, Sandra Borja, expressed her devastation, stating that "they killed for her being who she was" and emphasized her wish to remember Sara for her beauty rather than her tragic fate. The crime has prompted widespread outrage, with President Gustavo Petro calling for urgent action from authorities, as at least 13 trans individuals have been murdered in the country in the first quarter of this year. Community leaders report that Millerey's murder is the third this year targeting LGBTQ+ individuals in Bello alone. Local activist Sebas Zitrus highlighted the case's "tremendous cruelty," revealing a pervasive sense of fear among the community. Despite public mourning and calls for justice, local authorities have struggled to make arrests, with residents fearing retaliation for speaking out, raising concerns about ongoing violence against the trans community in Colombia.