Colombia's ex-president Uribe sentenced to 12 years house arrest for witness tampering

A Colombian judge has sentenced former president Alvaro Uribe to 12 years under house arrest after convicting him of witness tampering and procedural fraud, marking the first time in the nation’s history that a former head of state has received a criminal sentence.

Uribe, 73, remains one of the most influential figures in Colombian politics.

He led the country from 2002 to 2010 and spearheaded a hardline military campaign against drug cartels and leftist guerrillas, often with support from the United States.

He was found guilty of interfering with witnesses and pressuring them to alter their testimony about his alleged ties to right-wing paramilitary groups — accusations he has long denied.

"You have treated me in the worst possible way," Uribe told Judge Sandra Heredia during the sentencing hearing, vowing to appeal the decision.

The former president told the judge he would appeal his conviction and 12-year sentence for witness tampering.

A popular figure

Despite the conviction, Uribe remains popular in Colombia. He continues to shape conservative politics and is widely seen as a kingmaker within his party.

A recent poll ranked him as the country’s most admired political figure.

The court found that Uribe contacted individuals with links to paramilitaries and encouraged them to lie or retract statements that implicated him in illegal activities.

Prosecutors presented testimony from at least one former fighter who claimed Uribe tried to influence his account.

The sentence followed a lengthy investigation launched in 2018 and a high-profile trial that opened in May 2024.

More than 90 witnesses testified during proceedings. Previous attorneys general had attempted to close the case, but it was revived under Attorney General Luz Camargo, who was appointed by President Gustavo Petro — a former guerrilla and one of Uribe’s fiercest political rivals.

Uribe and his supporters claim the charges are politically motivated.

"Political vengeance," Uribe said during the trial.

Uribe faces additional investigations. He has testified in a preliminary probe into a 1997 paramilitary massacre of farmers during his time as governor of Antioquia, and a human rights complaint has been filed in Argentina over his alleged role in thousands of extrajudicial killings during his presidency — charges he denies.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned Uribe’s prosecution, calling it "the weaponisation of Colombia's judicial branch by radical judges."

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Source: TRT