The assassination of Miguel Castellanos, former government secretary of Cucuta and a candidate for mayor of the northeastern Colombian city, has once again brought the persistent violence against political figures in the country into the spotlight.
Castellanos was killed on Monday afternoon, October 26, under circumstances that authorities are investigating to determine who was responsible and what motivated the attack.
Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella condemned the crime and ordered the National Police to coordinate with the Attorney General’s Office to identify and arrest those responsible.
The killing has renewed concerns about the safety of people involved in public life, just over a year after the assassination of Senator and presidential hopeful Miguel Uribe Turbay, a crime that shocked the country and once again highlighted the risks of political activity in Colombia.
Another political assassination shocks Colombia: Miguel Castellanos killed
Castellanos was attacked in the El Portico area, along the western ring road connecting Cucuta with the neighboring municipality of Los Patios. According to initial accounts published by Colombian media, he was traveling in a pickup truck when he stopped near a gas station. He apparently got out of the vehicle to speak with someone standing next to a motorcycle, at which point he was shot several times.
The exact circumstances of the attack remain under investigation. So far, authorities have not confirmed the motive for the killing or publicly identified those responsible. A minor who was traveling with Castellanos reportedly escaped unharmed.
The former official served as Cucuta’s government secretary under Mayor Jorge Acevedo, leaving the position last January. Before entering local politics, he was a retired major in the National Police, where he served for more than 21 years and held positions related to security and police operations.
During his time in the municipal administration, he took part in initiatives related to public safety and public spaces. After leaving office, he began preparing his campaign for mayor of Cucuta, the capital of Norte de Santander, a department bordering Venezuela.
Castellanos was the brother of former Senator Jairo Castellanos and Bogota City Council member Leandro Castellanos, who also played professional soccer as a goalkeeper. The family had experienced another violent incident in February this year, when an attack targeting Jairo Castellanos in Arauca left two bodyguards dead. However, authorities have not established any connection between that incident and Miguel Castellanos’ assassination.
De la Espriella vows the crime will not go unpunished
De la Espriella condemned the killing, calling it a “cowardly act.” The president expressed his condolences to the victim’s family and said he had instructed the police and the Attorney General’s Office to work together to identify, locate, and arrest those responsible.
“Let criminals be clear about this: There will be no room for impunity in Colombia!” the president said, adding that the state would use its resources to pursue those responsible and bring them to justice.
The Norte de Santander governor’s office, meanwhile, announced a reward of up to 50 million Colombian pesos (approximately US$16,000) for information leading to the capture of the perpetrators. Investigators are gathering evidence and examining possible scenarios, although no confirmed explanation for the motive behind the killing has been made public.
A key focus of the investigation will be determining whether Castellanos was targeted because of his political ambitions, his record as a public official, or other circumstances. Investigators will also need to establish whether the killing was part of a broader plan and whether anyone other than the direct perpetrators was involved.
¡EL ASESINATO DE MIGUEL CASTELLANOS NO PUEDE QUEDAR IMPUNE!
Rechazo y condeno con toda contundencia el cobarde asesinato de Miguel Castellanos, exsecretario de Gobierno de Cúcuta, ocurrido esta noche en la capital de Norte de Santander.
He dado instrucciones a nuestra Policía Nacional para que, en coordinación con la Fiscalía General de la Nación, adelante las investigaciones necesarias para identificar, ubicar y capturar cuanto antes a los responsables de este crimen.
Mi solidaridad y mis más sentidas condolencias a su familia. Que Dios les conceda fortaleza en este momento de profundo dolor.
¡QUE LO TENGAN CLARO LOS CRIMINALES: EN COLOMBIA NO HABRÁ ESPACIO PARA LA IMPUNIDAD! Vamos a perseguir a los responsables con toda la capacidad del Estado y a llevarlos ante la justicia.
¡Firme por la Patria!
¡Viva Cristo Rey!
(A.D.L.E.)
— Abelardo De La Espriella (@ABDELAESPRIELLA) October 27, 2026
Political violence persists after Miguel Uribe Turbay’s assassination
Castellanos’s killing comes just over a year after the assassination of Miguel Uribe Turbay, a senator from the then-opposition Democratic Center party and a candidate for Colombia’s presidency. Uribe Turbay was shot on June 7, 2025, during a campaign event in Bogota and died on August 11 after spending more than two months receiving medical care.
His assassination shocked the country and reignited fears that violence could once again shape Colombia’s political competition, as it did during some of the bloodiest periods in the country’s recent history. Although several people were arrested on suspicion of involvement in the attack, questions about who ordered the killing and the motives behind it have kept the case under public scrutiny.
Castellanos’s killing raises renewed questions about the security guarantees available to candidates for elected office, particularly in regions grappling with serious public security challenges. Cucuta and the department of Norte de Santander lie in a strategically important border region with Venezuela, where criminal activity and the presence of illegal armed groups intersect.
So far, no publicly available evidence links Castellanos’s assassination to a criminal organization or establishes a direct connection between the killing and his candidacy. Those questions will depend on the progress of the investigation.
With answers still elusive, the case also brings a broader challenge back into focus: ensuring that political participation in Colombia does not mean exposing oneself to threats or deadly attacks. Just over a year after Uribe Turbay’s assassination, the death of another candidate for public office underscores that violence remains a threat to the country’s democratic life.