His case takes relevance for being the first former president led to trial in the country’s recent history.
Former President Álvaro Uribe Vélez.
Today the Judge 44 of knowledge of Bogotá, Sandra Liliana Herediawill issue a historical ruling when determining or acquitting former president Álvaro Uribe Vélez for the crimes of bribery of witnesses in criminal action and procedural fraud.
The origin of this long process He dates back to 2012, when the then congressman Álvaro Uribe denounced for alleged manipulation of witnesses to the senator of Iván Cepeda, pointing out of touring prisons in the country offering benefits and other prebendas to inmates to declare against them and link it to the creation of the Metro de las Autodefense Block, denounces that the former president in 2014 expanded in 2014
However, After 4 years, on February 16, 2018) the process took a 180 degree turnsince the Supreme Court of Justice filed the complaint against Iván Cepeda in determining that he did not manipulate any inmate and instead opened an investigation of course bribery to witnesses and procedural fraud against Álvaro Uribe, considering that through his lawyer Diego Cadena would have committed that practice to incriminate the Congressman Cepeda.
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The investigation went ahead and after a year and 8 months, On October 8, 2019, the former president was summoned to render investment before the Supreme Court of Justice and On August 4, 2020 that High Court issued Álvaro Uribe domiciliary and only four days later he renounced his seat in the Senate which caused his case to pass from the Supreme Court to the Attorney General’s Office.
After completing 67 days under preventive detention at its El Ubérrimo farm in Montería (Córdoba), on October 10, 2020 Judge 30 of Guarantees Control of Bogotá ordered its immediate freedom considering that this measure was not appropriate in the new context of the process.
Under the administration of the then Attorney General Francisco Barbosa, Between 2021 and 2023, two prosecutors delegated to the Court requested the preclusion of the process Against former president Uribe, arguing that there were not enough evidence of a direct responsibility of the ex -president in a witness manipulation, however, two different judges and the Superior Court of Bogotá denied that possibility.
In April 2024after the arrival of the new Attorney General Luz Adriana Camargo The process was reactivated And with the large part of the evidence contained in the file advanced by the Supreme Court, and about a year later, On February 6, 2025, the trial against former President Uribe started
The trial extended over 67 audience sessionsin which they appeared to the bench around 37 witnesses of the Prosecutor’s Office and 70 witnesses requested by the defense. Evidence that led the first delegate prosecutor before the Court, Marlene Orjuela, to ask that former president Uribe be condemned
The sentence request was supported by the victims. However, the Delegate Procurator Bladimir Table asked to acquit to former President Uribe
In their final allegations The lawyer Jaime Granados also asked to acquit to former President Uribe.
Of interest: Uribe denounces persecution and alert candidacy of Cepeda
Finally, it was the former president himself Uribe who in his defense insisted that he be declared innocent.
Regardless, the meaning of the ruling, the decision will be appealed before the Superior Court of Bogotá and in the last instance It will be the Supreme Court of Justice that will have the last word Once solve an extraordinary appeal.
Source: Integrated information system
