Colombian Senator Miguel Uribe Turbay has begun a neurorehabilitation protocol following signs of clinical improvement, more than five weeks after surviving a gun attack in Bogotá, according to a medical update released Monday by the Fundación Santa Fe Hospital.
The 39-year-old lawmaker and presidential hopeful remains in intensive care under sedation and mechanical ventilation, with his neurological prognosis still classified as “reserved,” the hospital said. Uribe Turbay was admitted 38 days ago after being shot on June 7 in the Modelia neighborhood of the capital.
“During recent days, the patient has shown a favorable and stable clinical response,” the hospital noted, citing positive results from diagnostic imaging procedures including MRI, CT scan, and Doppler. “As part of the comprehensive care process, neurorehabilitation has been initiated.”
Despite signs of improvement, Uribe Turbay remains in serious condition and continues to require close neurological and hemodynamic monitoring, the statement added.
The update came just hours after Uribe’s wife, María Claudia Tarazona, gave her first public interview since the shooting. Speaking to journalist María Elvira Arango on the television program Los Informantes, Tarazona recounted the moments following the attack and the emotional toll of her husband’s ongoing recovery.
“They told me he was going to die, that it was a matter of hours,” she said. “It’s been a chain of miracles. That’s the only explanation.”
Tarazona, who has remained at the hospital since the attack, said she draws strength from her faith and family. “When I’m in the ICU, I sing to him,” she said. “It’s how I pray. Miguel loves music, especially songs about God. I kneel beside his bed and sing. I write next to him. Leaving the clinic is extremely hard—I’m always afraid something will happen while I’m away.”
Uribe Turbay, a senator from the right-wing Centro Democrático party, had been campaigning with minimal security at the time of the attack. According to Tarazona, he was typically accompanied by a single police officer and traveled by taxi between events.
“Miguel was campaigning without the minimum security conditions. He was very exposed and vulnerable, an easy target,” she said. “We spoke about it many times. I told him, ‘You’re fighting too hard and not being well protected.’”
When asked whether President Gustavo Petro had reached out to offer condolences or solidarity, Tarazona responded simply: “No.”
While her account was emotional, it was also marked by resilience. “I have no hatred, just pain,” she said, describing how she divides her time between the hospital and caring for their young son, Alejandro.
“I know if Miguel could speak to me now, he’d say, ‘Thank you for being here, but I need you to be with Alejandro,’” she added.
Tarazona also praised the Fundación Santa Fe medical staff, particularly neurosurgeon Fernando Hakim, who is leading Uribe Turbay’s treatment.
“Dr. Hakim is an extraordinary human being,” she said. “He has kindness in his eyes, strength in his hands, and the heart to make this process bearable amid the chaos our family is living.”
The attack on Uribe Turbay, a prominent opposition figure and strong contender in Colombia’s 2026 presidential race, has sparked renewed concerns over political violence and the protection protocols for public figures. Critics have pointed to shortcomings in the government’s Unidad Nacional de Protección (UNP), the agency tasked with safeguarding politicians, journalists, and activists.
Further updates on his condition will be issued based on clinical relevance, the hospital said.
