Bogotá,Colombia (CNN) – The Colombian Senate has officially closed the case against former President Álvaro Uribe Vélez,a decision that has reverberated through the nation’s political landscape. The proceedings, which have spanned several years, concluded with the Senate’s decision to archive the inquiry.
Senator Isabel Zuleta of the Past Pact voiced her support for the conclusion of the case, acknowledging the challenges Uribe faced. “For bringing this case to the end, despite the attacks, montages and bribes of which he was a victim,” Zuleta stated on her X account on July 13.
Conversely, Senator Paloma Valencia of the Democratic Center affirmed her belief in Uribe’s innocence. “Absolutely convinced of the innocence of President Uribe. There is no single evidence that incriminated it. Quite the opposite: the evidence denies the only witness, whose lies they already fell,” Valencia commented to local media outside the court on July 8.
Political analysts suggest that the outcome of this legal process will significantly influence the upcoming congressional elections in March 2026 and the presidential election in May of the following year. Political analyst Pedro Viveros told CNN, “This is going to be a good thermometer and a political pulse for the next elections. Whatever the meaning of the ruling, it will have a direct impact on the elections for Congress and to choose the person who will replace Gustavo Petro.” He added,”But it will also be a unique chance to measure the independence of justice in Colombia in the face of the discussion that occurs in modern democracies about whether there is a politicization of justice or if policy is judicialized.”