BOGOTÁ: A Colombian court has ordered the immediate release of former president Alvaro Uribe while he appeals his witness tampering conviction.
The court’s Tuesday decision reverses the 12-year house arrest sentence announced earlier this month. This conviction marked the first time in Colombia’s history that a former president has been found guilty of a crime.
Uribe led Colombia from 2002 to 2010 and dominated domestic politics for a generation. He was found guilty of asking right-wing paramilitaries to lie about their alleged connections to him.
These paramilitaries committed atrocities while fighting leftist rebels during his presidency.
The 73-year-old former president has been under house arrest since August 1 at his Rionegro home.
He appealed the conviction, claiming the trial was politically motivated by Colombia’s left. President Gustavo Petro currently leads Colombia’s left-wing government.
Tuesday’s Superior Court decision allows Uribe to move freely during his appeal process. The court stated it does not consider him a flight risk despite the serious charges.
The court has until October 16 to either uphold or overturn Uribe’s conviction.
“If it misses the deadline, the trial is annulled and Uribe will go free,“ the court noted. Uribe expressed gratitude on social media platform X following his release.
“Thanks to God, thanks to so many fellow Colombians for their expressions of solidarity,“ he wrote.
Uribe remains highly popular and influential among Colombian conservatives. He led a relentless military campaign against drug cartels and the FARC guerrilla army during his presidency.
He continues to wield considerable power over conservative politics in Colombia.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has criticized Uribe’s prosecution without providing evidence. Rubio claimed it represented “the weaponization of Colombia’s judicial branch by radical judges.”
President Petro questioned US interference in Uribe’s case during a televised meeting.
“I do not understand how Uribe is free,“ Petro told his ministers. “Is that justice?” Recent opinion polls show Uribe remains the country’s best-loved politician despite his legal troubles.
The investigation against Uribe began in 2018 and experienced numerous twists and turns.
Several attorneys general attempted to close the case during the investigation period. The case gained new momentum under Attorney General Luz Camargo, appointed by Petro. Petro himself is a former guerrilla and political arch-foe of Uribe.
More than 90 witnesses testified during the trial that opened in May 2024. Prosecutors presented evidence including testimony from an ex-paramilitary fighter.
This fighter stated Uribe contacted him to change his story about their alleged connections. – AFP