Colombian police have arrested a man believed to have orchestrated the attempted assassination of conservative senator and presidential candidate Miguel Uribe, who remains in serious condition after being shot on June 7.
Police identified the suspect as Elder Jose Arteaga Hernandez, describing him as a crucial logistical planner behind the attack.
According to police chief Carlos Fernando Triana Beltran, Arteaga Hernandez organised “the before of the attack, the during, and the after.”
Uribe, 39, was shot three times, twice in the head, during a campaign rally in a Bogota park.
This latest arrest brings the total number of suspects apprehended to five, including the 15-year-old alleged hitman.
Police stated that Arteaga Hernandez, who has a history of criminal activity and an Interpol file, coordinated the attack, hired the teenage shooter, and provided the firearm.
The teenage shooter is reportedly part of a network of contract killers.
Semana magazine has previously reported that the teen told investigators he was offered over $4,800 to kill Uribe.
Uribe’s attorney, Victor Mosquera, indicated that the investigation has uncovered a “structured organisation” with a “history of attacks on right-wing leaders.”
Uribe, a member of the Democratic Centre party, announced his intention to run in the May 2026 presidential election last October.
