Ex-President Uribe gets acquitted of bribery, fraud by Colombian court

(MENAFN) Colombia’s High Court in Bogotá cleared former President Álvaro Uribe Vélez of bribery and procedural fraud on Tuesday, overturning a previous 12-year house arrest sentence issued by Judge Sandra Heredia of the 44th Criminal Court.

The court ruled that there was insufficient evidence to link Uribe as the instigator of the alleged crimes. Judge Manuel Merchan stated that the evidence “does not prove the malicious intent required to classify Álvaro Uribe Vélez as the instigator of punishable conduct.” The ruling also criticized the original trial judge, describing errors in the evaluation of evidence and interpretations as “fallacious and methodologically flawed.”

The initial conviction claimed that Uribe, through his lawyer Diego Cadena, offered benefits to imprisoned individuals to retract statements tying him to the formation of the ‘Metro’ bloc of the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) paramilitary group.

Following the acquittal, the victims’ lawyer, Miguel Ángel del Río, announced via X that he intends to appeal to the Supreme Court of Justice. “We are going to the Supreme Court Justice. This battle is not over,” he said.

President Gustavo Petro, a long-standing political rival of Uribe, criticized the ruling on X, accusing the judges of “covering up the history of paramilitary governance in Colombia.” Petro also referenced US politics, suggesting that judges acted to aid unnamed political allies of Uribe and former President Donald Trump to punish him for exposing connections between Colombian political power and paramilitary drug trafficking.

The case traces back to a 2012 political confrontation in Congress between Uribe and Senator Iván Cepeda. After Cepeda questioned Uribe’s alleged links to extreme right-wing paramilitary groups, Uribe filed a criminal complaint against him, accusing Cepeda of improperly pressuring imprisoned former paramilitaries for testimony. A 2018 Supreme Court ruling dismissed the case against Cepeda due to lack of evidence, while initiating an investigation into Uribe for alleged witness tampering intended to discredit his political opponent.

Observers note that the outcome of this legal battle could have a major impact on Colombia’s political scene, particularly with the 2026 presidential elections approaching. Uribe, who governed Colombia from 2002 to 2010, remains the most prominent opposition figure to Petro’s administration.

Experts warn that the ruling could heighten political polarization, which was evident in clashes between supporters and opponents outside Bogotá’s Paloquemao courthouse following the initial verdict. The case has also attracted international attention, with US political figures voicing concern over the potential politicization of Colombia’s judicial system.

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