Former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe has been sentenced to 12 years of house arrest after being found guilty of procedural fraud and witness bribery, marking a historic first as the only former president in Colombia’s history to face a criminal conviction.
The ruling, delivered on Friday by Judge Sandra Heredia of Bogotá’s 44th Criminal Court, comes four days after Uribe was declared guilty of the charges.
He was acquitted on a separate count of allegedly bribing a prosecutor.Uribe, 73, who led Colombia from 2002 to 2010, has consistently denied the allegations.
His legal team announced plans to appeal the verdict, arguing that the decision is politically motivated.
The case, which has gripped the nation for over a decade, originated in 2012 when Uribe accused Senator Iván Cepeda of attempting to tie him to the formation of a paramilitary group.
Cepeda rejected the claim, and in 2018, the Colombian Supreme Court turned the tables, launching an investigation into Uribe for alleged witness tampering.
The legal saga culminated in May 2024, when the Colombian Prosecutor’s Office formally charged Uribe with procedural fraud, bribery in criminal proceedings, and bribery.
The 67-day trial, which concluded this week, has deeply polarized Colombia. Political allies, including former President Iván Duque and members of the opposition Democratic Center party, rallied behind Uribe, portraying him as a victim of judicial overreach.
