Uribe lashes out against court ruling: “They want to destroy a voice of democratic opposition”
Uribe also defended his lawyer Diego Cadena, who was convicted of offering judicial benefits in exchange for favorable testimony
Former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe Vélez appealed on Friday the ruling that sentenced him to 12 years of house arrest for procedural fraud and witness tampering, delivering a fiery speech in which he described the decision as a “political move” aimed at silencing “democratic opposition.”
During a nearly three-hour hearing, Uribe argued that Judge Sandra Heredia “offended my fight for dignity in politics” and denounced the ruling as part of a “political narrative to support the verdict.” He accused the judge of siding with government figures such as leftist Senator Iván Cepeda and Justice Minister Eduardo Montealegre.
The judge had ordered the immediate execution of the sentence, citing the need to “preserve peaceful and harmonious coexistence among citizens.” In response, Uribe emphasized his peaceful public record, stating that the ruling “presented a narrative to defend criminals and accuse me of being one,” referencing Juan Guillermo Monsalve, a former paramilitary who testified that Uribe had ties to paramilitary groups.
Uribe also defended his lawyer Diego Cadena, who was convicted of offering judicial benefits in exchange for favorable testimony. “I asked him for verifications, not bribes,” said the former president, insisting that he trusted Cadena’s professional conduct.
Uribe, who served as president from 2002 to 2010, suggested that his conviction is part of a broader process of “consolidating a neo-communist dictatorship” under President Gustavo Petro. The case began in 2012 after a parliamentary debate in which Uribe was accused of founding a paramilitary bloc. In 2018, Colombia’s Supreme Court ruled that Cepeda had not bribed witnesses, as Uribe claimed. Now, a court has determined that it was Uribe who attempted to interfere with the justice system.
The case will now move to the Bogotá Superior Court, which will review the appeal.
