Colombian justice yesterday sentenced alias “Gabriela” to 21 years and two months in prison, the young woman who admitted participating last year in the murder of Senator and then–presidential hopeful Miguel Uribe Turbay. The ruling makes Katerine Andrea Martinez Martinez the second adult convicted in the assassination that took place eight months ago in Bogota.
Last year, those already convicted included the material perpetrator of the shooting, a 15-year-old who was caught in the act and shortly afterward sentenced to seven years of deprivation of liberty, as well as Carlos Eduardo Mora, who in October received 21 years in prison for transporting the hitman by vehicle to the crime scene.
For her part, alias “Gabriela” accepted responsibility in a plea agreement with the Attorney General’s Office and acknowledged that she was part of the criminal machinery that made possible an attack that shocked the entire country and generated unanimous condemnation.
Her confession does not close the case, but it does represent a new conviction following an investigation that has already led to several arrests and that seeks to determine precisely who planned and financed the murder.
Although the urban criminal structure that carried out the crime has been practically resolved, authorities are still investigating the intellectual author of the assassination. In this regard, the police and the Attorney General’s Office have from the outset pointed to a structure of the illegal armed group known as Second Marquetalia.
Colombia: alias ‘Gabriela’ gets 21 years for senator Miguel Uribe’s murder
Charged with aggravated homicide, aggravated illegal possession of weapons, and aggravated criminal conspiracy, according to the judicial reconstruction, alias “Gabriela” carried out a decisive logistical role.
She was the person responsible for picking up the firearm and delivering it to those who would carry out the attack in El Golfito Park, in the Fontibon district, Modelia neighborhood, in western Bogota. The pistol ended up in the hands of a minor who shot the senator during a public event.
The Attorney General’s Office established that Martinez knew the purpose of the weapon she was transporting. It was not an isolated or improvised act. The young woman was part of an organized structure that coordinated movements, surveillance, and timing to ensure that the attack was carried out without fail. Her role was essential for the plan to materialize.
At the hearing, the defendant accepted charges of aggravated homicide, aggravated criminal conspiracy, and illegal possession of weapons. By entering into the plea agreement, she obtained a reduced sentence.
The judge approved the deal and upheld the sentence of 21 years and two months in prison, which she must serve in a correctional facility.
During the proceeding, alias “Gabriela” asked the victim’s family for forgiveness and expressed remorse. However, the seriousness of the crime and its political impact maintained the severe tone of the hearing. The murder of a sitting senator and presidential pre-candidate had not occurred in Colombia since the assassination of Luis Carlos Galan in August 1989.
With this ruling, the case enters a new stage. So far, nine people have been arrested — the minor who shot Uribe Turbay, Elmer José Arteaga, Katerine Martinez, Carlos Eduardo Mora, William Fernando Gonzalez, Cristian Camilo Gonzalez, Jhorman David Mora, Harold Barragan, and Simeon Perez. Of all of them, alias “Gabriela” is the third person formally convicted by a judge in the ordinary jurisdiction.
The Attorney General’s Office says that a structured network operated behind the crime, with a division of tasks and prior coordination. Investigations are aimed at establishing who gave the order and who financed the operation. That is, today, the major unanswered question.
Some of those arrested have begun talks to accept charges and cooperate with authorities. Those potential agreements could accelerate new convictions in the coming months.
Luego de valorar y aprobar los términos del preacuerdo suscrito entre la Fiscalía y Katherine Andrea Martínez Martínez, una juez penal del circuito especializado de Bogotá condenó a la mujer por su participación en el magnicidios del senador y precandidato presidencial Miguel… pic.twitter.com/NbkTA4yvym
— Fiscalía Colombia (@FiscaliaCol) February 23, 2026
A crime that shook the political landscape
The murder of Miguel Uribe Turbay generated immediate shock. The senator was one of the visible figures of the opposition and had formalized his presidential bid weeks before the attack. His death altered alliances, campaigns, and electoral calculations, but above all, it provoked a rare unanimity of condemnation at a time of deep political polarization.
The case also opened a debate about the security arrangements for political leaders and the role of the National Protection Unit. Authorities are reviewing whether there were failures in the protection assigned to the senator on the day of the attack.
The victim’s family has insisted that the truth cannot be limited to the material perpetrators. Their legal team has called for a deeper investigation into the responsibility of those who planned the crime and for clarification on whether there were political motivations behind the attack.
Meanwhile, the conviction of alias “Gabriela” represents another step in holding members of the urban cell that carried out the crime accountable. However, the process is far from over: trials, decisions, and possible new arrests are still pending.