Here’s a rewritten version of the article, focusing on clarity and conciseness while retaining the key data:
Former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe Convicted of Witness Tampering
A Colombian court has found former President Álvaro Uribe guilty of witness tampering and procedural fraud, marking a historic moment as the first former head of state in the South American nation to be convicted in a criminal trial. The 73-year-old politician, who served as president from 2002 to 2010, was accused of attempting to bribe imprisoned paramilitaries to alter their testimonies that implicated him.
Judge Sandra Heredia of the Bogotá Circuit court stated that the “materiality of punishable conduct” had been proven,referring to the bribery charges. Uribe faces a potential prison sentence of up to 12 years.Outside the courthouse, Uribe’s supporters, many wearing masks bearing his image, chanted “Uribe innocent,” while his opponents called for his imprisonment.
The lengthy judicial process began in 2012 when uribe filed a lawsuit against leftist congressman Iván Cepeda, accusing Cepeda of seeking out prisoners to fabricate accusations of Uribe’s links to far-right paramilitary groups. However, in a notable reversal in 2018, the court shifted it’s focus, suspecting uribe himself of attempting to bribe witnesses to change their accounts.
Uribe resigned from the Senate in 2020, losing his senatorial immunity and allowing the case to proceed through ordinary justice channels.
This conviction of Uribe, a highly influential figure known for his tough stance against guerrillas, is seen as a major setback for the conservative right ahead of the 2026 presidential elections. Uribe’s party,the Democratic Center,is currently the main opposition to the left-wing President Gustavo Petro.
Uribe maintains his innocence, asserting that the trial is politically motivated and driven by a desire for “revenge” from the left, the demobilized FARC guerrillas, and former President Juan Manuel Santos, who oversaw the peace agreement that disarmed the rebels in 2017. Paramilitary groups initially emerged in Colombia during the 1980s to combat Marxist guerrillas.
