Key suspect arrested in shooting of Colombia senator

Colombian police have arrested the alleged mastermind of the assassination attempt against a presidential hopeful during a rally last month.

Miguel Uribe, a conservative senator, was twice shot in the head in the capital, Bogotá, as he was campaigning for his party’s nomination in the 2026 presidential election.

Police arrested a suspected criminal, Élder José Arteaga Hernandez, who they say persuaded a 15-year-old to carry out the attack. Four other people had already been arrested, including the teenager charged with shooting Uribe.

Uribe remains in a critical condition. The motive for the attempt on his life on 7 June is unclear.

Colombian police chief Carlos Fernando Triana said on Friday that Arteaga had a long criminal history and was wanted for “aggravated attempted homicide” and “use of minors for the commission of crimes” over the attack on Uribe.

Police say he co-ordinated the assault, hired the gunman and provided him with a weapon.

Authorities had previously accused Arteaga, who uses the aliases Chipi and Costeño, of being near the Bogotá park where Uribe was shot.

The 15-year-old suspect was arrested as he was fleeing the scene. He subsequently pleaded not guilty, the prosecutor’s office said.

Uribe, a critic of left-wing President Gustavo Petro, announced his candidacy for next year’s presidential election last October. The 39-year-old has been a senator since 2022.

He is from a prominent political family, with links to Colombia’s Liberal Party. His father was a union leader and businessman.

His mother, journalist Diana Turbay, was killed in 1991 in a rescue attempt after she was kidnapped by the Medellin drugs cartel.

The 7 June attack prompted silent protests attended by tens of thousands of Colombians.