UNP announces it will strengthen security for several presidential candidates following the attack on Miguel Uribe Turbay.

Augusto Rodríguez, director of the National Protection Unit (UNP), announced this Friday, June 20, that he will strengthen security for at least six presidential candidates, a decision that comes after the attack on Senator and presidential candidate Miguel Uribe Turbay on June 7 in Bogotá.

The announcement was made during a meeting at the Casa de Nariño , also attended by the Ministers of the Interior and Defense, Armando Benedetti and Pedro Sánchez; as well as the Commander of the Armed Forces, Admiral Francisco Cubides; and the Director of the National Police, Carlos Fernando Triana.

The meeting aimed to review the security strategy for the 2026 elections.

According to Rodríguez, the increased protection for presidential candidates was implemented through emergency procedures while final measures are evaluated for the 2026 elections.

Specifically, the security of the pre-candidates was reinforced:

Protection was also increased for Gabriel Jaime Vallejo, director of the Democratic Center party.

In the case of presidential candidate Vicky Dávila, Rodríguez stated that her security was reinforced by the National Police.

The UNP has received widespread criticism following the attack on Senator Uribe Turbay. The candidate was holding a political rally in the Modelia neighborhood of Bogotá on June 7 when a 15-year-old boy pulled a gun and shot him at least three times.

According to Víctor Mosquera, a lawyer for the senator and presidential candidate's family, at least 23 requests to strengthen Uribe Turbay's security were submitted in 2025. However, Mosquera said, although the risk was determined to be extraordinary, the Democratic Center politician's security was not improved.

Following the criticism, the director of the National University of Peru (UNP) explained that Uribe Turbay's security detail was a mixed one, comprised of three members from the UNP and four from the National Police.

However, he explained that on the day of the attack, there were multiple situations that led to the candidate's organization having fewer members.

"Due to situations inherent to that dynamic, some related to the protégé himself and others to the fact that the number of people, seven, was not sufficient," he stated.

And he added: "There was a situation where the senator finished his work day at 3 a.m. and the people (from the security detail) had to go home and then return, specifically the one from the UNP had to do that. He returned at 2 p.m. to pick him up at a point in the city and then go to the site where there was an activity that had not been announced and had not been coordinated with the two protection entities."

This week, Miguel Uribe Turbay's defense team also revealed that the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) has requested information from the government regarding the presidential candidate's health.

"The IACHR has requested urgent information to determine Miguel's current security situation (...) and, above all, they are asking why Miguel did not have adequate security at the time of this fateful event," said his lawyer.

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