**Arrest Made in Assassination Attempt on Colombian Presidential Candidate**

**Colombian authorities have arrested the accused orchestrator behind the shooting of senator Miguel Uribe, who remains in a precarious state following the attack that occurred at a political event last month.**

Colombian law enforcement has apprehended a suspect linked to the assassination attempt against senator Miguel Uribe during a campaign rally last month. Uribe, who is vying for the presidency in 2026, suffered a double gunshot to the head in Bogotá while advocating for his conservative party's nomination.

Police officials identified the suspected mastermind as Élder José Arteaga Hernandez, claiming he recruited a 15-year-old to execute the shooting. This follows the earlier arrest of four additional suspects, including the teenager captured at the crime scene, who has since pleaded not guilty. Currently, Uribe is fighting for his life in a critical condition, and the motives for the attack on 7 June have yet to be established.

Carlos Fernando Triana, the Colombian police chief, stated that Arteaga has a significant criminal background and is sought for charges that include "aggravated attempted homicide" and "exploitation of minors." He is believed to have directed the attack by hiring the shooter and supplying him with the firearm used. Evidence also places Arteaga at the Bogotá park where Uribe was shot.

Uribe, critical of leftist President Gustavo Petro, officially announced his presidential candidacy last October and has been serving in the Senate since 2022. His family has deep-rooted connections to Colombian politics; his father was a noted union leader, and his mother, journalist Diana Turbay, was tragically killed in 1991 during a botched rescue attempt by the Medellin drug cartel.

The alarming attack on 7 June has triggered widespread silent protests, drawing tens of thousands of Colombians to express their solidarity in the face of political violence.