Bogota, Jul 5 (AP) The alleged mastermind behind the shooting of a conservative Colombian senator and presidential candidate was taken into custody Saturday, almost a month after the attack, law enforcement authorities said.

Elder José Arteaga Hernández, alias “Chipi” or “Costeño,” was arrested in a neighbourhood in the northwestern part of the capital, Bogota, National Police Director Maj. Gen. Carlos Fernando Triana told reporters. Authorities had previously accused him and other suspects of being near the Bogota park where Miguel Uribe Turbay was shot in broad daylight on June 7.

Also Read | Benjamin Netanyahu-IDF Chief Clash Over Gaza Evacuation: ‘We Have Soldiers Dying in Battle’, Says Gen Eyal Zamir in Stormy Meeting Over Plan to Displace Gazans.

Uribe was giving a political speech in the park when he was attacked from behind and wounded in the head, allegedly by a minor who was captured as he fled. Three other people have been arrested for participating in the logistics and execution of the crime. The motive is still being investigated.

Uribe, who in October announced his intention to run in the 2026 presidential election, remains in intensive care and has undergone several surgeries. From his Senate seat, he had become one of President Gustavo Petro’s most vocal critics.

Also Read | PM Narendra Modi Receives Warm Welcome, Shares Hug With Argentina’s President Javier Milei in Buenos Aires (See Pics and Videos).

The attack has been widely condemned in a country with a dark past in which drug cartels and insurgent groups murdered and kidnapped politicians.

Charges against Arteaga include attempted aggravated homicide; manufacturing, trafficking and carrying firearms or ammunition; and using minors to commit crimes. Interpol issued a red notice against him Friday.

It was not immediately clear Saturday if Arteaga had an attorney who could comment on his behalf. Authorities said he would make his first court appearance over the weekend.

Triana last month said Arteaga “has been involved in a life of crime for more than 20 years, performing hit jobs in all types of crimes in Bogotá.” (AP)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)

The alleged mastermind behind the shooting of conservative Colombian senator and presidential candidate Miguel Uribe Turbay was taken into custody Saturday, nearly a month after the attack, law enforcement authorities said.

Elder José Arteaga Hernández, who uses the aliases “Chipi” or “Costeño,” was arrested in a neighborhood in the northwestern part of the capital, Bogota, National Police Director Maj. Gen. Carlos Fernando Triana told reporters.

Authorities had previously accused Arteaga and other suspects of being near the Bogota park where Uribe was shot in broad daylight on June 7. Three other people have been arrested for participating in the logistics and execution of the crime.

Charges against Arteaga include attempted aggravated homicide; manufacturing, trafficking and carrying firearms or ammunition; and using minors to commit crimes. Interpol issued a red notice against him on Friday.

It was not immediately clear Saturday if Arteaga had an attorney who could comment on his behalf. Authorities said he would make his first court appearance over the weekend.

Triana last month said Arteaga “has been involved in a life of crime for more than 20 years, performing hit jobs in all types of crimes in Bogotá.”

FILE — Miguel Uribe Turbay attends the strategic dialogue Rethinking Cities for Competitiveness: Smart and Sustainable Cities at the 2019 Concordia Americas Summit in Bogota, Colombia, on May 14, 2019. Gabriel Aponte/Getty Images for Concordia Summit

Uribe was giving a political speech in the park when he was attacked from behind, allegedly by a minor who was captured as he fled. He was shot twice in the head and once in the knee, CBS News reported. He underwent a “neurosurgical” and “peripheral vascular procedure” at the Santa Fe Clinic in Bogota to treat the injuries, and has undergone more surgeries since. He remains in intensive care.

Two other people – a man and a woman – were also injured.

The motive for the shooting is still being investigated. In October, Uribe announced his intention to run in Colombia’s 2026 presidential election. From his Senate seat, he had become one of President Gustavo Petro’s most vocal critics.

The attack has been widely condemned in a country with a dark past in which drug cartels and insurgent groups murdered and kidnapped politicians. Uribe is the son of a journalist who was kidnapped and killed during one of the country’s most violent periods, in 1991. Shortly after the shooting, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. “condemns in the strongest possible terms the attempted assassination” and called the attack “a direct threat to democracy.” He blamed “violent leftist rhetoric coming from the highest levels of the Colombian government” for the shooting.

“Having seen firsthand Colombia’s progress over the past few decades to consolidate security and democracy, it can’t afford to go back to dark days of political violence,” Rubio said. “President Petro needs to dial back the inflammatory rhetoric and protect Colombian officials.”