Former Colombian president Álvaro Uribe Vélez was found guilty Monday of bribing a witness and committing procedural fraud, concluding a high-profile case that has been ongoing for more than a decade. The court’s decision marks the first time a former head of state in Colombia has faced a criminal conviction. Judge Sandra Liliana Heredia, reading the verdict, stated that prosecutors had provided sufficient evidence to prove Uribe’s involvement in bribery.
The case dates back to 2012 when Uribe, then a senator, accused Sen. Iván Cepeda Castro of witness tampering in an effort to link him to illegal armed groups. However, the Supreme Court’s investigation into Cepeda uncovered evidence suggesting that allies of Uribe had offered money, legal help, and other benefits to imprisoned paramilitaries and guerrillas in exchange for testimony that could be used against Cepeda. Over time, the case shifted focus onto Uribe himself, alleging that he had manipulated evidence and misled the judicial system to secure favorable outcomes.
Uribe, who served as president from 2002 to 2010, is widely credited with implementing the “Democratic Security” policy, which led to a reduction in kidnappings and homicides and pushed for the demobilization of paramilitary groups. However, his administration also faced allegations of serious human rights abuses, including the “false positives” scandal in which civilians were killed by the military and presented as enemy combatants.
Between 2012 and 2018, investigators found that imprisoned former paramilitaries had been bribed or pressured to alter their testimony to protect Uribe from being linked to illegal armed groups. Sergio Escobar, director of the Medellín Global Center for Strategic International Studies, noted that while the former president is expected to appeal the ruling, the legal process could be complicated by the statute of limitations expiring later this year.
Legal experts argue that this conviction represents a major turning point in Colombian politics. José Francisco Salvo, a lawyer with the NGO Derechos Ciudadanos, described it as a demonstration that “even the most powerful figures in the country are not above the law,” while also acknowledging that political polarization will shape the public’s reaction. Supporters of Uribe have denounced the decision as politically motivated persecution.
International reaction was swift, with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio posting on Twitter that Uribe’s “only crime has been to tirelessly fight and defend his homeland,” warning that the verdict reflected the dangerous politicization of Colombia’s judicial system.
