Colombia: Former President Uribe Sentenced to 12 Years of House Arrest

Former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe was sentenced Friday to 12 years of house arrest for witness tampering and procedural fraud, becoming the country's first former head of state to be convicted and deprived of his liberty, a source close to the case said.

The 73-year-old former right-wing leader, who was president from 2002 to 2010, has also been banned from holding any public office for more than eight years, according to a court document leaked to the press, the authenticity of which was confirmed by a source close to the case on condition of anonymity.

He was found guilty on Monday of trying to pressure a witness to avoid being associated with the far-right militias that waged a bloody war against the guerrillas, in the first trial targeting a former Colombian head of state.

Alvaro Uribe was also prosecuted for procedural fraud.

More than 90 witnesses at the trial

The investigation against Alvaro Uribe began in 2018 and has seen many twists and turns, with several attorneys general seeking to dismiss the case.

His trial, which opened in May 2024 and was broadcast live by local media, featured more than 90 witnesses. It was widely watched, coming less than a year before the next presidential election in May 2026.

Alvaro Uribe, head of the Centro Democratico party, remains a key figure in his country's political scene and exerts great influence on the Colombian right, which has been in opposition since the country's first left-wing president, Gustavo Petro, came to power in 2022.