Who was Diana Turbay? Mother of shot Colombian candidate Miguel Uribe, journalist killed in Escobar raid

Miguel Uribe, a Colombian presidential candidate, remains in critical condition after being shot during a public rally on Sunday. Uribe belongs to a distinguished Colombian family. His father was a businessman and trade union leader associated with the Liberal Party, while his mother, Diana Turbay, was a prominent journalist.

Diana, the daughter of former Colombian President Julio César Turbay, was kidnapped in 1990 by a group linked to drug cartel leader Pablo Escobar.

According to TIME magazine, she, accompanied by her crew, entered a trap laid by Pablo Escobar. She died during a raid by government security forces.

She was 40 years old at the time of her death. The Inter American Press Association reported that she died on January 25, 1991, after being shot in the back during a police operation.

Turbay had been taken hostage as part of Escobar’s pressure campaign against then-President César Gaviria, in an effort to compel the Colombian government to overturn its extradition treaty with the United States.

A security guard managed to detain the suspected attacker, a minor who is believed to be 15 years old. The gunman shot him twice in the head and once in the knee before being detained.

“I am Maria Claudia Tarazona, Miguel's wife. Miguel is currently fighting for his life. Let us ask God to guide the hands of the doctors who are treating him. I ask everyone to join us in a chain of prayer for Miguel's life. I put my faith in God”, his wife posted from his X account.