Former Colombian president Alvaro Uribe was sentenced to 12 years of house arrest on Friday after being pleaded guilty to procedural fraud and bribery of witnesses.
Uribe had pleaded not guilty. His defense attorneys previously announced they would file an appeal.
Judge Sandra Heredia of the 44th Crown Court in Bogota announced the sentence four days after the former president was convicted of the crime. Heredia has acquitted Uribe, who has another charge against the prosecutor’s suspected bribery.
Uribe, 73, who ruled Colombia from 2002 to 2010, is the country’s first former president to be criminally convicted.
The incident began in 2012 when Uribe, the upcoming Centro Democrats, accused Sen. Ivan Sepeda of the Control Historical Agreement of trying to link him to the creation of a paramilitary group. Cepeda denied the charges.
This changed in 2018 when the Supreme Court of Columbia decided to begin an investigation into Uribe for tampering with eyewitnesses.
After years of investigation and legal appeal in Uribe’s defense, in May 2024, the Colombian prosecutor’s office officially charged with three crimes: procedural fraud, criminal bribery and bribery.
The charges resulted in a 67-day trial, ending this week.
Uribe remained innocent throughout the lawsuit, a position supported by politicians such as former President Ivan Duquet and other opposition politicians. In contrast, figures close to the government celebrated the ruling.
On Tuesday, Cepeda celebrated the decision, informing CNN that she knows there are other means to pursue. “We still have a long way to go,” the senator said.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
