At 7:00 p.m. on Monday, August 11, the family of Senator Miguel Uribe Turbay arrived at the Elliptical Hall of the Congress of the Republic to attend the funeral procession that will be held for the legislator there until Wednesday.
María Claudia Tarazona, now the widow of the presidential candidate, along with her four children; her sister, María Carolina Hoyos; and other relatives entered the building amidst gestures of support.
The young politician's father, Miguel Uribe Londoño, and the uncle of the Democratic Center senator, Julio César Turbay Quintero, had arrived several hours early to the Elliptical Hall, where they received words of condolence for the family's loss and gave statements to the press.
The former Comptroller General of the Republic called for greater understanding, and for"the inflammatory rhetoric" and "confrontation" to cease.
What María Claudia Tarazona said
María Claudia Tarazona, Miguel Uribe's widow, made a statement upon arrival at the Elliptical Hall. She first thanked the doctors."I want to start by thanking all the doctors, led by Dr. Hakim, who did everything possible, everything humanly and medically possible, to save Miguel's life. His doctors, each and every one of them, his team of nurses, fought at Miguel's level. That battle Miguel would have wanted them to fight, and they did it with dignity."
She added: "Thank you for not giving up and being with Miguel until the very last minute. I want to give infinite thanks to God for allowing me these two months by Miguel's side, for allowing me to learn to love God and receive Him into my heart. Without him, during those two months of preparation, it would have been impossible to face this moment. God is with me, gives me strength, and during these two months, he taught me the path of love."
She then referred to the loss of her husband: "A wonderful man has left us, the one who sings, the one who plays chess, the one who plays the piano, the one who composes songs, the one who dedicated his life with love and dedication to Alejandro, my daughters and friends."
Tarazona addressed the country's loss."For the country, a wonderful man has passed away. He dreamed of peace and unity in Colombia, he dreamed of a country where no child would repeat the story his son is repeating today. Breaking up a family is the most horrible act of violence that can ever be committed. All of us who had the opportunity to enjoy his life, his company, his friendship, and to work with him know that in Miguel's heart, his struggle and what he wanted for all of us Colombians is unity, peace, and love."
Additionally, she called for calm:"I reject any act of violence or any act of revenge for Miguel's death, because to honor him, there should only be love in our hearts. The best tribute to my husband is to make his message of peace, unity, and love a reality."
However, she called for justice for her husband's murder."I hope justice is done because justice strengthens democracy."
