Former Colombian President Uribe Found Guilty in Landmark Witness Tampering Case

Former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe has been found guilty of witness tampering and bribery in a historic ruling — becoming the first ex-president in the country’s history to be convicted at trial.

Judge Sandra Liliana Heredia delivered the verdict on Monday, stating there was sufficient evidence that Uribe, 73, conspired with a lawyer to influence testimony from three imprisoned ex-paramilitaries. The goal? To discredit left-wing Senator Iván Cepeda, who was investigating Uribe’s alleged ties to death squads from Colombia’s bloody 1990s conflict.

The charges stem from a legal battle that began back in 2012, when Uribe filed a libel suit against Cepeda — but the Supreme Court turned the tables, clearing Cepeda and launching an investigation into Uribe in 2018.

Uribe now faces up to 12 years behind bars. A sentencing hearing is set for Friday, though due to his age, he could potentially serve time under house arrest.

Uribe, who joined the hearing via videolink with his legal team, insists he’s innocent.

“This is not the end of this process, the appeal is next and we are going to demonstrate that this decision, which we respect, is wrong,” lawyer Juan Felipe Amaya, part of Uribe’s legal team, told journalists at the court.

His supporters have called the case political persecution, while critics see the verdict as long-overdue accountability for a figure long accused of links to Colombia’s brutal paramilitary groups.

Supporters and protesters gathered outside the courthouse in Bogotá — some waving Colombian flags, others wearing masks of Uribe’s face.

Despite the ruling, Uribe remains a powerful force in Colombian politics. He heads the right-wing Democratic Centre party and has had strong backing from U.S. Republicans.

Senator Marco Rubio called the conviction “a worrisome precedent,” claiming Uribe’s only crime was “defending his homeland.” Colombian President Gustavo Petro fired back, saying a strong judiciary is key to peace and accusing Rubio of meddling in Colombian sovereignty.

The case could have ripple effects on U.S.-Colombia relations. A proposal from Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart to cut non-military aid to Colombia over due process concerns is already on the table.

Uribe, who served as president from 2002 to 2010, has always portrayed himself as a hardliner against armed groups. His administration brokered the demobilization of some paramilitaries — but Colombia’s Truth Commission says those same groups were behind nearly half of the 450,000 deaths in the country’s decades-long civil conflict.

With input from Al Jazeera