Former Colombian President Uribe sentenced to 12 years of house arrest

Former Colombian President Uribe sentenced to 12 years of house arrest

The former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe was convicted of 12 years of house arrest on Friday after he was guilty for procedural fraud and ceremony. Uribe had not pleaded to do so and announced his defense to appeal against the judgment.

judgment and background

Judge Sandra Heredia of the 44th Criminal Court in Bogotá announced the punishment for four days after she spoke Uribe guilty. Before that, she had acquitted him from another reproach, the bribery of a public prosecutor. Uribe, 73 years old, ruled Colombia from 2002 to 2010 and is the first former president of the country to be convicted.

the case and its development

The case began in 2012, as Uribe, member of the now oppositional party Centro Democrático, Senator Iván Cepeda, who belongs to the Governing Historic Pact, accused him of wanting to connect with the establishment of a paramilitary group. Cepeda rejected the allegations.

In 2018, the situation turned when the Colombian Supreme Court decided to initiate an investigation against Uribe for suspected manipulation of witnesses. After years of investigations and legal challenge by the defense of Uribes, he was officially charged by the Colombian public prosecutor's office in May 2024 for three offenses: procedural fraud, bribery in criminal proceedings and bribery.

The process and the reactions

The indictment led to a process that lasted 67 days and ended this week. Uribe claimed his innocence throughout the procedure, a position that was supported by politicians such as former President Iván Duque and other opposition politicians. In contrast, governmental personalities celebrated the judgment and viewed it as a sign of justice.

prospects and outlook

On Tuesday, Cepeda celebrated the decision and told CNN that he knew that the case had to take further ways. "There is still a long way to go," said the senator.

This story continues to develop and is updated.

This report was supplemented by Michael Rios from CNN.