Miguel Uribe, leader of Colombia’s far-right opposition, shot in Bogota

The congressional leader of Colombia’s far-right Democratic Center party suffered an assassination attempt at a political rally in the capital Bogota on Saturday.

Images of the incident showed bystanders holding Uribe, who was apparently shot in the head.

The opposition leader, a protégé of former President Alvaro Uribe and the grandson of former President Julio Cesar Turbay, was taken to hospital for treatment.

Interior Minister Armando Benedetti expressed “solidarity with Miguel Uribe and his family” and stressed that the government “rejects all violence.”

The Democratic Center said in an initial response that the assassination attempt “is an attack on democracy and freedom in Colombia.”

We energetically reject this attack that not only endangers the life of a political leader, but also is an attack on democracy and freedom in Colombia.

Democratic Center

Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez announced a $728 thousand (COP3 billion) reward for information that would lead to the identification and arrest of those behind the assassination attempt.

The minister said he had ordered “the military and the National Police and the intelligence agencies to deploy all their capabilities to urgently clarify the facts.”

In the next few minutes, we will hold an extraordinary meeting with the military and police leadership to outline the strategy to address this situation.

Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez

The Democratic Center leader in the Senate was one of the most vociferous opponents of President Gustavo Petro, Colombia’s first left-wing president in history.