Colombian authorities have apprehended the primary suspect in the assassination attempt on senator Miguel Uribe, a prominent presidential candidate. The attack occurred during Uribe's campaign rally in Bogotá last month, where he was shot twice in the head. The arrested individual, Élder José Arteaga Hernandez, is alleged to have orchestrated the lethal assault and recruited a 15-year-old to execute the attack.
Four additional arrests have been made thus far, including the teenage gunman, who is now under police custody and pleaded not guilty. Senator Uribe remains in a critical state following the shooting on June 7, and the motive behind this violent act is still under investigation.
Colombian police chief Carlos Fernando Triana disclosed that Arteaga has a significant criminal history, with charges of "aggravated attempted homicide" and "use of minors for the commission of crimes" based on his role in the shooting. Authorities claim Arteaga coordinated the operation, hired the shooter, and supplied the necessary weapon.
Previously, Arteaga had been linked to the scene of the shooting, which has heightened tensions in the country. Uribe, a critic of the current left-wing President Gustavo Petro, announced his intentions to run for the presidency in October 2022. The senator hails from a political family with a legacy of public service and tragedy; his mother, journalist Diana Turbay, was killed in a kidnapping attempt orchestrated by the notorious Medellin drug cartel in 1991.
Following the assassination attempt, widespread silent protests gathered tens of thousands of citizens who rallied against violence in politics and expressed their support for Uribe.
