Ex-president Álvaro Uribe handed 12-year sentence for bribery plot

DDM News

For the first time in Colombia’s history, a former president has been found guilty in a criminal case, marking a dramatic turn in the country’s judicial and political landscape.

Diaspora Digital Media (DDM) gathered that Álvaro Uribe, who governed the country from 2002 to 2010, was on Friday sentenced to 12 years of house arrest after being convicted of procedural fraud and witness tampering.

Uribe, 73, has denied all wrongdoing, and his defense attorneys have vowed to file an appeal against the judgment delivered by Judge Sandra Heredia of Bogotá’s 44th Criminal Court.

The ruling was made just four days after Heredia found the ex-president guilty of engaging in illegal efforts to manipulate court proceedings.

Though Uribe was cleared of a separate charge involving an alleged attempt to bribe a public prosecutor, the convictions on the other two counts were enough to secure his sentence.

The case against Uribe dates back to 2012, when he accused then-Senator Iván Cepeda of orchestrating a smear campaign to link him with paramilitary violence in Colombia’s long-running internal conflict.

Cepeda, who is now a senator under the ruling leftist coalition, Historic Pact, has consistently denied the accusations and maintained his own stance as an advocate for truth and accountability.

However, the tables turned in 2018 when Colombia’s Supreme Court opened an investigation into Uribe himself, accusing him of trying to influence witnesses to discredit Cepeda.

According to court records, investigators unearthed evidence that Uribe and his allies may have attempted to bribe witnesses and orchestrate false testimonies.

By May 2024, after years of courtroom delays and public debate, the Colombian Prosecutor’s Office charged Uribe with three serious offenses: procedural fraud, bribery in judicial proceedings, and bribery.

Friday’s judgment only upheld two of those charges, but the implications were explosive, as Uribe remains one of the most influential political figures in the country.

A founding member of the right-wing Centro Democrático party, Uribe’s legacy has been both praised for security reforms and criticized for alleged human rights violations during his tenure.

Legal analysts say this ruling could strengthen Colombia’s judiciary, showing that even former heads of state are not above the law.

In recent years, Latin America has seen a wave of corruption and accountability trials against former presidents in countries like Brazil, Peru, and Argentina.

With Uribe now under house arrest, Colombia joins the list of nations reckoning with powerful figures once believed untouchable.

The public reaction has been deeply polarized, with some Colombians applauding the conviction while others argue it is politically motivated.

As the appeal process begins, the nation remains gripped by the legal and political ramifications of a once-untouchable leader facing the consequences of his actions.

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