A Colombian court on Tuesday overturned the convictions of former President Alvaro Uribe, who had been found guilty of fraud and bribery in a case involving alleged witness tampering. Uribe faced a potential sentence of 12 years of house arrest. A senator involved in the case announced plans to appeal, which could bring the matter before the Supreme Court.
Uribe served as Colombia’s president from 2002 to 2010 and was the country’s first former president to be criminally convicted when sentenced earlier this year. The three-judge panel ruled that the evidence supporting the conviction was not sufficiently strong or legally valid.
Current President Gustavo Petro commented that the decision contradicts previous rulings and suggested it may obscure aspects of Colombia’s history related to paramilitary influence. Petro has previously worked to expose links between paramilitary groups and political figures.
Uribe has consistently denied the charges, describing the case as politically motivated. The court had suspended enforcement of his house arrest pending the appeal process.
The case involves allegations that Uribe directed a lawyer to bribe imprisoned paramilitary members to undermine claims linking him to those groups. Paramilitary forces, historically backed by landowners and merchants as protection against guerrilla groups, are estimated to be responsible for a significant portion of violence during Colombia’s conflict from 1985 to 2018.
In 2012, Uribe accused Senator Ivan Cepeda of manipulating paramilitary prisoners to make false accusations against him. The Supreme Court later found no wrongdoing by Cepeda and concluded that Uribe had pressured witnesses.
Cepeda said he intends to appeal the recent court ruling, which could extend the legal proceedings. He stated that key evidence was overlooked and expressed commitment to pursuing the truth in this and related cases.
Following the initial guilty verdict, some international officials expressed concern about judicial processes in Colombia. President Petro has emphasised respect for the independence of the judiciary.
Political campaigning is underway ahead of next year’s presidential and legislative elections. Several of Uribe’s allies plan to run for office, while Cepeda is also seeking to run for president as part of the ruling left-wing coalition. Petro is ineligible to seek re-election.
