Former President Álvaro Uribe Vélez was convicted this Monday, July 28, of procedural fraud and bribery. The ruling was issued in the first instance, and the former president's defense team will appeal the case in the second instance before the Superior Court of Bogotá.
The court decision caused a political earthquake. On one side, the left celebrated, while the right lamented what had happened.
Álvaro Uribe Vélez's family was not unaware of what happened.
Jerónimo Uribe, the former president's son, who arrived from abroad exclusively to accompany his father at the reading of the verdict, took to social media and spoke about the people who, according to him, celebrated the court's decision.
"Today they celebrate: the FARC and Timochenko, unpunished narco-terrorists. Also celebrating are Nicolás Maduro and Diosdado Cabello, the leaders of the Cartel of the Suns," he said.
Likewise, according to Uribe Jr., they celebrate"Gustavo Petro, the president who has pressured the justice system. And, of course, Juan Manuel Santos. He pardoned the former, was a partner of the latter, and was reelected with the help of and helped elect the third. But, keep going."
Jerónimo Uribe reacted to a message posted on social media by Rodrigo Londoño, known as Timochenko, one of the top leaders of the FARC, the guerrilla organization that Álvaro Uribe fought during his eight years in office. “The conviction against Uribe is a milestone that marks a change of era in Colombia. The country cannot be a lawless land for the powerful. The nation must embrace justice so that historical and judicial truth serve as the basis for non-repetition and reconciliation,” Timochenko said.
Returning to the former president's family, Tomás Uribe, the former president's other son, also reacted.
"The narco-guerrillas currently in power in Colombia are seeking to eliminate the democratic opposition. We will not let them," he said.
Álvaro Uribe has been cautious in the face of Judge Sandra Heredia's ruling against him, although this decision did not come as a surprise. Within the Democratic Center, pessimism has swirled in recent hours, while within the Historic Pact, there has been an anticipatory jubilation. Uribe will mount a fierce defense so that the Bogotá Superior Court can decide the second instance. The former president's defense attorney, Jaime Granados, announced that they will file the appeal before that court on August 11.
A decision is expected before October 16, 2025. Otherwise, the criminal action will expire.
This Friday, August 1, Judge Sandra Heredia will officially confirm the first-instance ruling and tell Colombians whether Álvaro Uribe will serve his sentence under house arrest or in freedom.
If he decides on house arrest, the measure could be reviewed in the second instance by another judge.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Center, former President Uribe's party, will begin developing a strategy to insist that the former president is innocent until a second court ruling is issued. It must not be forgotten that this judicial decision came less than a year before the presidential elections.
