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

Bogota, Colombia – The former Colombian president, Álvaro Uribe, was convicted of charges of manipulation and bribery of witnesses on Monday, in a historical trial that seized the South American nation and threatened to tarnish the legacy of the strong conservative.

The ruling was announced by a judge in Bogotá, the capital of the country, after a trial of almost six months in which the prosecutors presented evidence that Uribe tried to influence the witnesses who accused the leader of the law and the order of having links with a paramilitary group founded by farmers in the 1990s.

In a long decision that lasted more than ten hours, Judge Sandra Heredia said there was enough evidence to determine that Uribe conspired with a lawyer, to convince three former members of paramilitary groups who were in prison to a changing testimony that had provided Ivan Cepeda, a leftist senator who had launched an investigation into the allegations of Uribe to a paramilitary group.

The case dates back to 2012, when Uribe filed a claim for defamation against Cepeda, with the Supreme Court. But in a surprise turn, the Superior Court dismissed the 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 accused. A sentence will be delivered at a separate hearing. The former president is expected to appeal the ruling in a superior court.



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