A Colombian judge has convicted former President Alvaro Uribe of witness tampering and bribery in a landmark trial, marking the country’s first-ever guilty verdict against a former president. Judge Sandra Liliana Heredia ruled that Uribe, 73, conspired with a lawyer to coax three former members of paramilitary groups into changing their testimony against him.
The case dates back to 2012 when Uribe filed a libel suit against Senator Ivan Cepeda, who had launched an investigation into Uribe’s alleged ties to a paramilitary group. However, the Supreme Court dismissed the charges against Cepeda and began investigating Uribe in 2018. Uribe faces up to 12 years in prison, with sentencing set for a separate hearing on Friday. His legal team plans to appeal the ruling.
“This is not the end of this process, the appeal is next, and we are going to demonstrate that this decision, which we respect, is wrong,” said lawyer Juan Felipe Amaya, part of Uribe’s legal team. Uribe’s lawyer, Jaime Granados, requested that his client remain free during the remainder of the process, citing the presumption of innocence.
The conviction has sparked reactions from both Uribe’s supporters and critics. Some Uribe backers gathered outside the court, sporting masks of his face, while others criticized the ruling as a persecution. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio criticized the trial, saying, “Uribe’s only crime has been to tirelessly fight and defend his homeland. The weaponization of Colombia’s judicial branch by radical judges has now set a worrisome precedent.”
In contrast, Colombian President Gustavo Petro defended the ruling, stating that “a strong justice system” will enable Colombia to emerge from violence. Petro also accused Rubio of interfering with Colombia’s sovereignty.
Uribe’s conviction may have implications for Colombia’s relations with the US. Banco de Bogota warned that a decision against Uribe could lead to reprisals from the US government, citing a proposal to cut non-military aid to Colombia due to concerns over due process violations in the Uribe case.
As head of the powerful Democratic Centre party and a former senator, Uribe has maintained a significant influence in Colombian politics. His presidency, from 2002 to 2010, was marked by a military offensive against leftist guerrilla groups and deals with paramilitary groups, which demobilized under his government but were responsible for thousands of deaths and human rights abuses.
The Colombia truth commission reports that paramilitary groups killed over 205,000 people, nearly half of the 450,000 deaths recorded during the ongoing civil conflict. Uribe’s legacy remains contentious, with many accusing him of close ties to violent right-wing paramilitaries.