Colombia

Ex-Colombian President Uribe Found Guilty of Witness Tampering

JUL 29 2025·Updated JUL 30 2025

Story

Above: Former Colombian president Alvaro Uribe Velez and his supporters attended a mass in Medellin, Colombia, on July 27, 2025, before the jury's decision in his trial on witness manipulation and fraud. Image credit: Juan J. Erazo/Universal Images Group/Getty Images

The Facts

Former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe has been found guilty of witness tampering and bribery. The verdict, announced on Monday, follows a nearly six-month trial, during which evidence revealed that he attempted to influence witnesses who accused him of having connections to a paramilitary group.
BBC News
Breitbart
Uribe, 73, served as Colombia's president from 2002 to 2010, and remains a polarizing figure in Colombia, with some praising him for saving the country, while others associate him with human rights violations and the rise of paramilitary groups. Uribe faces up to 12 years in prison. The sentence will be delivered separately.
Guardian
Herald Sun
The case dates back to 2012 when Uribe filed a libel suit with the Supreme Court against Ivan Cepeda, a left-wing senator, who had launched an investigation into Uribe's alleged ties to a paramilitary group. However, the high court dismissed the charges against Cepeda and began investigating Uribe in 2018.
CNN
Newsmax
During Uribe's presidency, Colombia's military achieved significant victories over the Marxist-inspired guerrilla groups, notably FARC, which is Latin America's oldest leftist insurgency.
The Washington Post
www.ft.com
Guardian
Critics have also accused Uribe of state crimes, including the execution of over 6,400 civilians by the Colombian military, who falsely identified them as members of rebel groups to gain promotions during the conflict.
Dw.Com
Breitbart
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the bribery conviction of former Colombian President Uribe, stating that "the weaponization of Colombia’s judicial branch by radical judges has now set a worrisome precedent."
The New York Times
Barrons

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The Spin

Narrative A

The case against former President Alvaro Uribe is not only unjust but a clear mockery of Colombia's legal system. This ruling risks intensifying the already deep political divisions in Colombia. The evident misuse of Colombia's judicial system against Uribe may also have implications for the bilateral relationship between Colombia and the United States.

The City Paper Bogotá

Narrative B

The guilty verdict is a long-overdue affirmation that no one is above the law — not even a former president. For years, Uribe has evaded accountability despite mounting evidence of criminal behavior and ties to violent paramilitary groups. This ruling reflects the strength and maturity of Colombia’s democratic institutions and is a necessary step toward justice, not political vengeance.