Former Colombian President Uribe found guilty in bribery trial that threatens his legacy

BOGOTA, Colombia — Former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe was convicted of witness tampering and bribery charges on Monday, in a historic trial that gripped the South American nation and threatened to tarnish the conservative strongman’s legacy.

The ruling was announced by a judge in Bogota, the country’s capital, following a nearly six-month trial in which prosecutors presented evidence that Uribe attempted to influence witnesses who accused the law and order leader of having links to a paramilitary group founded by ranchers in the 1990s.

In a lengthy ruling that lasted more than ten hours, Judge Sandra Heredia said there was enough evidence to determine that Uribe conspired with a lawyer, to coax three former members of paramilitary groups who were in prison into changing testimony they had provided to Ivan Cepeda, a left-wing senator who had launched a probe into Uribe’s alleged ties to a paramilitary group.

The case dates back to 2012, when Uribe filed a libel suit against Cepeda, with the Supreme Court. But in a surprise twist the high court dismissed charges against Cepeda and launched an investigation against Uribe in 2018.

Uribe faces up to 12 years in prison for the crimes he has been charged with. A sentencing will be delivered in a separate hearing. The former president is expected to appeal the ruling in a high court.