The assault on the right-wing presidential candidate Miguel Uribe Turbay evokes memories of the assassinations of five potential presidents that occurred between 1986 and 1990.

A gentleman in his forties is actively engaging in political campaigning. A video captures him speaking to his supporters in a public setting. In an instant, his body convulses, rattled by the gunfire. The camera falters, its focus slipping, as chaos ensues and individuals dash away. It might very well be Soacha, on the 18th of August in 1989, with the politician in question being none other than Luis Carlos Galán. Or Bogotá, on the 7th of June, 2025, and he may be known as Miguel Uribe Turbay.

The assault on the presidential candidate of the Democratic Centre, the principal opposition party, this Saturday has sent shockwaves through Colombia, much as one would expect in response to an assassination attempt on a contender for the nation’s highest office. However, it has also resurrected a haunting memory from 35 years past: during the lead-up to the 1990 presidential elections, not just one, but three presidential candidates were assassinated, emblematic of the criminal violence that plagued the nation.

The details surrounding this Saturday’s events remain somewhat ambiguous. Uribe, among the many contenders in a race that appears quite fluid, visited a middle-class area in the capital. A modest gathering of several dozen individuals took place at the rally, which hardly qualifies as a large-scale event. The campaign is merely in its infancy—the initial round is set for May 31, 2026—and not a single media outlet was present.

Following the senator being shot twice by a hitman, reportedly just 15 years of age, the bodyguards sprang into action. He was swiftly transported to the nearest clinic, while the assailant was apprehended as he attempted to flee on foot. In a matter of moments, the key political figures conveyed their sorrow over the incident, demanded prompt enquiries, and advocated for a sense of national solidarity.

In August 1989, a gravely injured Galán arrived late at Kennedy Hospital in Bogotá, where medical personnel discovered him to be already deceased. Though the elections seemed a distant prospect, the candidate represented the dominant political faction, the Liberals, and was a prominent figure, often regarded as the de facto leader. The murder resonated with another, that of fellow Liberal Jorge Eliécer Gaitán, which on April 9, 1948, served as a catalyst for significant violence between Conservatives and Liberals. Following the assassination of Galán, the spectre of an undeclared civil war did not resurface; however, the violent onslaughts orchestrated by drug lords, notably under the command of Pablo Escobar, persisted unabated.

The situation has intensified with increasing violence. In March 1990, the assassination of Bernardo Jaramillo, the candidate representing the leftist Patriotic Union, occurred at the Bogotá airport. In 1987, his predecessor, Jaime Pardo Leal, had already met a tragic end, having been shot dead. In the years that followed, it became evident that paramilitaries were behind Jaramillo’s death. However, the prevailing chaos led to considerable debate regarding whether it was Escobar and his associates, or perhaps even the FARC guerrillas, who bore responsibility.

In the subsequent month, Carlos Pizarro, the figure who had guided the M-19 guerrillas towards demobilisation, was tragically assassinated. His demise was orchestrated by a hitman driven by despair: he was gunned down mid-air, and it was inevitable that the presidential candidate’s security detail would spring into action. And thus it came to pass.

The recent fatalities, alongside a spate of bombings targeting civilians, abductions, and homicides, paint a grim picture of the turmoil that Colombia is once more confronting. In 1989, Galán’s eldest son, who is currently a presidential candidate, Juan Manuel, appointed César Gaviria as the successor to his father. Antonio Navarro Wolff maintained a state of tranquilly within the M-19, succeeded Pizarro, and secured the left’s most significant electoral support to date.

Gaviria emerged victorious in the elections, successfully implemented a new, more inclusive Constitution, and ultimately vanquished Escobar, who met his end in 1993. However, this occurred after he had orchestrated the kidnapping of numerous individuals, among them Diana Turbay, a prominent journalist and the mother of Miguel. She never came back: she perished during a rescue attempt when her son was merely four years old, the same age as the youngest son of the current presidential candidate, who is battling for his life.

The consequences of that grim path of destruction extended even further. It is important to note that the conclusion of Escobar’s reign did not signify the end of turmoil; alongside the numerous assassinations, we must also consider the tragic fate of conservative candidate Álvaro Gómez, who was murdered in 1995, five years after his initial candidacy in 1990. In fact, the ensuing two decades witnessed a marked escalation in both guerrilla and paramilitary violence. The repercussions remain evident to this day. Drug trafficking continues to flourish, armed factions are proliferating and consolidating their power, while the government and opposition are entrenched in a fierce confrontation, each accusing the other of constitutional violations and orchestrating a “coup d’état”. The president has even invoked the spirit of “Bolívar’s war to the death”.

Moreover, the individuals affected by that violence three and a half decades ago are pivotal to the ongoing discussion. The mayor of Bogotá is now Carlos Fernando, another son of Galán; among the leftist pre-candidates is Senator María José Pizarro, the daughter of the candidate who was assassinated in 1990. She has indicated the resurgence of the past: “I am the daughter of a presidential candidate assassinated in 1990, and this history cannot be repeated,” she stated on X in her initial response to the attack. Colombia has witnessed numerous episodes of violence over the years. The events unfolding in the next few hours will be pivotal in establishing whether this Saturday signifies the dawn of a new cycle or merely ascends to a new peak.