Former President Álvaro Uribe was found guilty of two crimes: procedural fraud and bribery in criminal proceedings. This was determined by Judge Sandra Heredia during the reading of the ruling against him on July 28. Of the three crimes for which he had been brought to trial, the former president was acquitted of the charge of simple bribery.
(In context: Álvaro Uribe case: judge finds the former president guilty of two of the three crimes: procedural fraud and bribery in criminal proceedings ).
After the judge took around ten hours to read her decision, Uribe remained attentive to the hearing, which he attended virtually.
"Against Mr. Álvaro Uribe Vélez, the ruling is condemnatory for the punishable acts of bribery in criminal proceedings, in a homogeneous contest, on three occasions. And in a heterogeneous contest, in relation to procedural fraud," the judge stated.
The former president wore a serious expression as he listened to the ruling. He didn't take his eyes off the camera. His lawyer, Jaime Granados, also appeared attentive to the judge's arguments.
At one point, while the judge was pointing out that former President Uribe"knew how illicit his actions were," he was leaning over his desk taking notes.
After the judge's intervention, the Prosecutor's Office took the floor to comment on the possible sentence that the former president would face.
Attorney Granados also had the opportunity to speak."Despite the partial conviction, the presumption of innocence remains. A criterion of balance and reasonableness must be established that prioritizes the freedom of those who have appeared during the proceedings," he opined.
Once the Prosecutor's Office, attorney Granados, and the Public Prosecutor's Office concluded their presentations, Judge Heredia summoned the parties for Friday at 2 p.m. to read the sentence.
The former president immediately turned off his camera and left the session.
Why was Álvaro Uribe found guilty?
Former President Álvaro Uribe was found guilty of attempting to bribe a paramilitary to prevent him from testifying about the former president's alleged links to illegal armed groups.
Uribe, who according to the judge also committed procedural fraud, faces a sentence of up to 12 years in prison.
The long judicial process began in 2012, when Uribe sued Congressman Iván Cepeda before the Supreme Court of Justice for seeking prisoners to accuse him of having links with the far-right paramilitaries who fought the guerrillas.
In an unexpected twist, in 2018 the court changed the course of the investigation after suspecting that Uribe, then a congressman, had tried to bribe them into changing their stories.
After multiple judicial maneuvers, Uribe resigned from the Senate in 2020, lost his immunity, and the case was referred to the ordinary courts.
Until 2025, there was an oral trial and on July 28, Judge Heredia finally found him guilty of two crimes.
