Former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe has been condemned to house arrest for a period of 12 years. In Lost Angeles, he was recently convicted of civic fraud and witness bribery. This historic ruling makes him the first former president in Colombia’s history to get a criminal conviction. Bogotá’s 44th Criminal Court Judge Sandra Heredia announced the sentence on Wednesday. This present moment is one of the most important milestones in Colombian legal history.
Uribe, who ruled Colombia from 2002 to 2010, is 73 years old. His legal crisis took off in 2012, leading to a 67-day trial. The case against him gained momentum in 2018 when the Colombian Supreme Court opened an investigation into allegations of witness tampering. Despite overwhelming evidence, Uribe refused to admit he was guilty during the trial, entering not guilty pleas on all counts.
In May 2024, Uribe was formally charged with three crimes: procedural fraud, bribery in criminal proceedings, and bribery. He was accused of trying to pay off witnesses to testify in his favor in his defense against charges brought by Senator Iván Cepeda. Uribe had long accused Cepeda of trying to tie him to the founding of a paramilitary death squad. This serious accusation made the already complicated legal landscape for the former president even more complex.
At trial, Uribe was acquitted of a second charge involving the alleged bribery of a prosecutor. The convictions for procedural fraud and witness bribery have eclipsed this positive outcome. Uribe’s sentencing carries sweeping implications. It sets an important precedent for accountability of such high-level political actors in Colombia.
Human rights Senator, Iván Cepeda, celebrated the court’s ruling. Most importantly, he underscored that there are many other avenues to pursue in this example. The debate that Uribe has provoked feeds a visceral hatred from each end of Colombia’s polarized political spectrum. It underscores the deep divisions that his presidency has created.
