Former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe Found Guilty of Bribery and Abuse of Process
Quote from Lawyer on July 29, 2025, 1:48 pmIn a landmark ruling, a Colombian judge convicted former President Álvaro Uribe on July 28, 2025, of abuse of process and bribery of a public official, marking the first time a former Colombian president has been found guilty at trial. The decision, delivered by Judge Sandra Liliana Heredia in Bogotá after a nearly six-month trial, has sent shockwaves through the nation’s political landscape, coming less than a year before the 2026 presidential election. Uribe, a towering figure in Colombian politics, was acquitted of a separate bribery charge. The ruling, which Uribe’s legal team has vowed to appeal, caps a highly politicized 13-year legal battle centered on allegations of witness tampering.
The case stems from a 2012 libel suit filed by Uribe against leftist Senator Ivan Cepeda, whom Uribe accused of orchestrating a plot to link him to right-wing paramilitary groups. Cepeda had been collecting testimonies from former paramilitaries as part of his work investigating Uribe’s alleged ties to these groups, which were responsible for widespread violence during Colombia’s decades-long civil conflict. In 2018, the Supreme Court dismissed Uribe’s claims, ruling that Cepeda’s actions were legitimate and that it was Uribe and his allies who had pressured witnesses to alter their testimonies. Prosecutors alleged that Uribe, working with a lawyer, attempted to bribe three imprisoned former paramilitary members to retract statements that tied him to a paramilitary group he allegedly founded and financed in the 1990s.
Judge Heredia’s ruling, read aloud over more than ten hours, emphasized the strength of the evidence against Uribe. She declared that justice serves the Colombian people and does not bow to power, signaling a commitment to holding influential figures accountable. The charges of abuse of process and bribery of a public official each carry a potential sentence of six to twelve years, though a final sentencing decision is pending. Due to Uribe’s age of 73, he may serve any potential prison term under house arrest, a possibility noted during the proceedings.
Uribe, who served as president from 2002 to 2010, is a polarizing figure in Colombia. His presidency is credited with significant military successes against the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), weakening the leftist insurgency and paving the way for peace talks that disarmed over 13,000 fighters in 2016. Supporters view him as a national hero who prevented Colombia from becoming a failed state, praising his relentless work ethic and law-and-order policies. However, critics associate his administration with human rights abuses, including the deaths of over 6,400 civilians falsely reported as rebel combatants by the military in a scandal that peaked during his tenure. Allegations of ties to paramilitary groups, which killed an estimated 205,000 people during the conflict, have long shadowed Uribe’s legacy.
The trial has deepened Colombia’s political divide. Uribe’s supporters, including members of his Democratic Center party, gathered outside the Paloquemao court complex in Bogotá, some wearing masks of his face in solidarity. They argue the case is a politically motivated persecution, a sentiment echoed by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who criticized the ruling as evidence of a weaponized judiciary. Rubio, noting Uribe’s close ties to the U.S. during his presidency, suggested the conviction could prompt reprisals, such as a proposed cut to non-military aid to Colombia by U.S. Republican lawmaker Mario Diaz-Balart. In contrast, Uribe’s detractors, including Senator Cepeda, celebrated the verdict as a step toward justice for victims of Colombia’s conflict. Current President Gustavo Petro, a former leftist guerrilla and Uribe’s political rival, defended the ruling, stating that a strong justice system is essential for Colombia to move beyond its violent past.
Uribe participated in the hearing via video link alongside his lawyer Jaime Granados, while another attorney, Jaime Lombana, appeared in person. Granados argued for Uribe’s presumption of innocence and requested that he remain free during the appeal process, a decision Judge Heredia will address later. Uribe’s legal team, including lawyer Juan Felipe Amaya, expressed confidence in overturning the ruling, calling it flawed but respecting the judicial process. Uribe himself has maintained his innocence, describing the case as an unjust attack and alleging judicial bias, including illegal wiretapping, though Heredia ruled the wiretapping was lawful.
The conviction places Uribe among a growing list of Latin American leaders facing criminal convictions, including Peru’s Alberto Fujimori, Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Ecuador’s Rafael Correa, Argentina’s Cristina Fernández, and Panama’s Ricardo Martinelli. The case, which may reach Colombia’s Supreme Court on appeal, is likely to prolong the nation’s debate over Uribe’s legacy and influence. As the 2026 election approaches, with several of Uribe’s allies vying for the presidency, the ruling could reshape political alliances and voter sentiment.
For now, Uribe remains a free man, with his legal team preparing for a protracted appeal process. The decision has sparked both celebration and outrage, reflecting the deep divisions over his role in Colombia’s history. Whether viewed as a deserved reckoning or a political vendetta, the conviction marks a historic moment for Colombia’s judiciary and its ongoing struggle to address the wounds of a decades-long conflict.
In a landmark ruling, a Colombian judge convicted former President Álvaro Uribe on July 28, 2025, of abuse of process and bribery of a public official, marking the first time a former Colombian president has been found guilty at trial. The decision, delivered by Judge Sandra Liliana Heredia in Bogotá after a nearly six-month trial, has sent shockwaves through the nation’s political landscape, coming less than a year before the 2026 presidential election. Uribe, a towering figure in Colombian politics, was acquitted of a separate bribery charge. The ruling, which Uribe’s legal team has vowed to appeal, caps a highly politicized 13-year legal battle centered on allegations of witness tampering.
The case stems from a 2012 libel suit filed by Uribe against leftist Senator Ivan Cepeda, whom Uribe accused of orchestrating a plot to link him to right-wing paramilitary groups. Cepeda had been collecting testimonies from former paramilitaries as part of his work investigating Uribe’s alleged ties to these groups, which were responsible for widespread violence during Colombia’s decades-long civil conflict. In 2018, the Supreme Court dismissed Uribe’s claims, ruling that Cepeda’s actions were legitimate and that it was Uribe and his allies who had pressured witnesses to alter their testimonies. Prosecutors alleged that Uribe, working with a lawyer, attempted to bribe three imprisoned former paramilitary members to retract statements that tied him to a paramilitary group he allegedly founded and financed in the 1990s.
Judge Heredia’s ruling, read aloud over more than ten hours, emphasized the strength of the evidence against Uribe. She declared that justice serves the Colombian people and does not bow to power, signaling a commitment to holding influential figures accountable. The charges of abuse of process and bribery of a public official each carry a potential sentence of six to twelve years, though a final sentencing decision is pending. Due to Uribe’s age of 73, he may serve any potential prison term under house arrest, a possibility noted during the proceedings.
Uribe, who served as president from 2002 to 2010, is a polarizing figure in Colombia. His presidency is credited with significant military successes against the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), weakening the leftist insurgency and paving the way for peace talks that disarmed over 13,000 fighters in 2016. Supporters view him as a national hero who prevented Colombia from becoming a failed state, praising his relentless work ethic and law-and-order policies. However, critics associate his administration with human rights abuses, including the deaths of over 6,400 civilians falsely reported as rebel combatants by the military in a scandal that peaked during his tenure. Allegations of ties to paramilitary groups, which killed an estimated 205,000 people during the conflict, have long shadowed Uribe’s legacy.
The trial has deepened Colombia’s political divide. Uribe’s supporters, including members of his Democratic Center party, gathered outside the Paloquemao court complex in Bogotá, some wearing masks of his face in solidarity. They argue the case is a politically motivated persecution, a sentiment echoed by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who criticized the ruling as evidence of a weaponized judiciary. Rubio, noting Uribe’s close ties to the U.S. during his presidency, suggested the conviction could prompt reprisals, such as a proposed cut to non-military aid to Colombia by U.S. Republican lawmaker Mario Diaz-Balart. In contrast, Uribe’s detractors, including Senator Cepeda, celebrated the verdict as a step toward justice for victims of Colombia’s conflict. Current President Gustavo Petro, a former leftist guerrilla and Uribe’s political rival, defended the ruling, stating that a strong justice system is essential for Colombia to move beyond its violent past.
Uribe participated in the hearing via video link alongside his lawyer Jaime Granados, while another attorney, Jaime Lombana, appeared in person. Granados argued for Uribe’s presumption of innocence and requested that he remain free during the appeal process, a decision Judge Heredia will address later. Uribe’s legal team, including lawyer Juan Felipe Amaya, expressed confidence in overturning the ruling, calling it flawed but respecting the judicial process. Uribe himself has maintained his innocence, describing the case as an unjust attack and alleging judicial bias, including illegal wiretapping, though Heredia ruled the wiretapping was lawful.
The conviction places Uribe among a growing list of Latin American leaders facing criminal convictions, including Peru’s Alberto Fujimori, Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Ecuador’s Rafael Correa, Argentina’s Cristina Fernández, and Panama’s Ricardo Martinelli. The case, which may reach Colombia’s Supreme Court on appeal, is likely to prolong the nation’s debate over Uribe’s legacy and influence. As the 2026 election approaches, with several of Uribe’s allies vying for the presidency, the ruling could reshape political alliances and voter sentiment.
For now, Uribe remains a free man, with his legal team preparing for a protracted appeal process. The decision has sparked both celebration and outrage, reflecting the deep divisions over his role in Colombia’s history. Whether viewed as a deserved reckoning or a political vendetta, the conviction marks a historic moment for Colombia’s judiciary and its ongoing struggle to address the wounds of a decades-long conflict.