This is the first trial of a former president in the country’s history; sentence represents a setback to the Colombian right on the eve of the 2026 presidential election
Former Colombian president was declared guilty on Monday for trying to bribe a former paramilitary to lie to his advantage and deny connections with far-right armed groups who fought guerrillas in the country. This is the first trial of a former president in the history of. Uribe was also considered guilty for procedural fraud and can be sentenced to up to 12 years in prison. He accompanied the audience virtually and denied the accusations, shaking his head in disagreement. Outside the court, supporters wore masks with their face and shouted words of support, such as “Innocent Uribe.”
The process began in 2012, when Uribe reported the then leftist congressman Iván Cepeda for allegedly seeking prisoners to incriminate him. In 2018, however, the Supreme Court reversed the investigation by pointing out that the former president, at the time senator, would have tried to bribe witnesses to alter his versions.
With the renunciation of the Senate in 2020, the politician lost the privileged forum and the case went to the Common Justice. He even served house arrest that year, but was released after the decision -making, then controlled by allies. The turn in the case came in 2024, when a new Attorney General, nominated by President Gustavo Petro, decided to take the former president to trial. More than 90 witnesses were heard.
One of the main evidence was the recording of a conversation between a Uribe lawyer and a former paramilitary, recorded by a camera hidden in a “spy clock.” The paramilitary said he was pressured to change his statement. The lawyer also responds to the lawsuit. Uribe’s own telephone interceptions were also used as proof. The defense claimed that the ears are illegal. The former president denies having offered bribes, directly or indirectly. In his final statement, he said, “Consciousness tells me, I said the truth.”
The condemnation is full of Colombia’s most influential politician in recent decades. Uribe was the first reelected president of the country and maintained strong popularity after leaving office, sponsoring two successors. He is the founder of the Democratic Center Party, the main opposition force to the current leftist president ,.
The sentence represents a setback to the Colombian right on the eve of the 2026 presidential election. Uribe states that the process has political motivation and accuses the left, the former guerrillas and former President Juan Manuel Santos-responsible for the 2017 Peace Agreement-to articulate a “revenge.”
*With information from AFP
Posted by Felipe Cerqueira
