A Colombian court has sentenced former President Álvaro Uribe to 12 years of house arrest on charges of witness tampering and fraud. In addition to the sentence, he has been fined approximately $578,000 and barred from running for public office.
According to a report by the BBC, this is the first time in Colombia’s history that a former head of state has been convicted and sentenced for a criminal offense.
Uribe, 73, served as Colombia’s president from 2002 to 2010. The verdict concludes a legal battle that spanned 13 years, during which the court found him guilty of attempting to influence witnesses and engaging in deceitful practices.
He was present at the courtroom in Bogotá during the announcement of the ruling. Declaring himself innocent, Uribe claimed, “This case is politically motivated and aimed at silencing dissent.” He also stated his intention to appeal the decision.
Court documents revealed that two former paramilitary members, currently in prison, testified that Uribe’s attorney, Diego Cadena, had offered them bribes in exchange for favorable testimony. Cadena, however, has denied the allegations.
Uribe has previously faced accusations of collaborating with right-wing paramilitary groups and of human rights violations during counterinsurgency operations against leftist rebels. He has consistently denied all such allegations.
The ruling has sparked concern among some U.S. political figures. Senator Marco Rubio expressed serious reservations about the decision, noting that Uribe had once been praised in Washington for his tough stance against the FARC guerrillas.
Analysts suggest that this landmark verdict marks a turning point in Colombia’s efforts to strengthen the rule of law and ensure accountability at the highest levels of power.