Former Colombian president Álvaro Uribe has been sentenced to 12 years of house arrest after being convicted of tampering with witnesses and fraud, making history as the first former leader of Colombia to receive a criminal sentence. Uribe, 73, has been fined roughly $578,000 and is prohibited from holding public office in the future.
Despite maintaining his innocence, Uribe expressed intentions to appeal the verdict, asserting that the trial aimed to undermine his role as a prominent voice in the democratic opposition. He held the presidency from 2002 until 2010 and continues to have a loyal following in Colombia, despite the serious allegations concerning his ties with right-wing paramilitary groups allegedly aimed at suppressing leftist factions—a claim Uribe strongly refutes.
His conviction stems from a witness tampering case that has lingered for over 13 years. Evidence presented included testimonies from two incarcerated former paramilitaries who claimed that Uribe's ex-attorney, Diego Cadena, had offered them monetary compensation to provide favorable testimony for Uribe. Cadena, who is also facing charges, has denied those claims and has appeared in court to support Uribe's defense.
This ruling has drawn attention internationally, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemning the conviction and asserting that Colombia's judicial system is being weaponized against political rivals. Rubio characterized Uribe's actions as purely patriotic, arguing he has worked tirelessly to protect his nation.
In Colombia, paramilitary groups emerged in the 1980s, originally formed to combat poverty and marginalization while fighting Marxist guerrilla factions. However, these groups became heavily intertwined with the drug trade and notorious for contributing to violence and strife that still affects Colombia today.
Uribe had received praise from the United States for his aggressive stance against left-wing Farc rebels, although he remains a contentious figure. Critics argue that he failed to address deep-rooted issues of inequality and poverty in the country. Although a peace agreement was signed between Farc and Uribe's successor in 2016, violence from disbanded groups remains a pressing concern in Colombia today.
