Former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe Vélez paid tribute Saturday to slain presidential hopeful Miguel Uribe Turbay at the Bogota park where he was shot in June, calling for stronger security across the country amid a wave of violence.

“Here, the murderer, with drugs, money, and a chain of masterminds and instigators, deprived us of Miguel, who, with his sacrifice, won the election as the eternal inspiration of the free people of Colombia.”, Uribe said from a small stage next to a portrait of the 39-year-old candidate.

"As Miguel demanded, there should be security so that in the villages, towns, and cities of Colombia, people can sleep peacefully, without the nightmare of waiting for violent assault.”

Police blocked off nearby streets, stationed dozens of officers around the park, deployed a drone overhead and posted an elite unit with long guns on a nearby rooftop.

Uribe Turbay was shot in the back June 7 while campaigning in Modelia, a western Bogota neighborhood, with a modest security detail.

He spent more than two months in intensive care before dying August 11.

His killing marked the first assassination of a presidential contender in Colombia in three decades.

Uribe Vélez, who led the country from 2002 to 2010, resumed public appearances this week after leaving house arrest.

He is awaiting an appellate ruling on a 12-year prison sentence for bribery and witness tampering.

The influential conservative remains a key figure on the right and is expected to play a major role ahead of Colombia’s 2026 legislative and presidential elections, opposing leftist President Gustavo Petro.

AP video shot by: Samuel Sotomayor