Colombia: Bogotá's 44th criminal judge must convict or release Uribe

Published at: 28/07/2025 10:02 AM

This Monday, after 13 years of a protracted and controversial judicial process, the trial against the father of Colombian paramilitarism, Álvaro Uribe Vélez, for alleged witness manipulation entered its decisive phase.

The 44th criminal judge of Bogotá, Sandra Heredia, must decide whether to issue a conviction or preclude the case, in one of the most important processes in the political and judicial history of Colombia.

The origin of the case dates back to a legislative debate in 2012 on the links of extreme right-wing paramilitary groups. During that session, the senator for the Historical Pact, Iván Cepeda, insinuated that Uribe had links with these criminal structures.

In response, Uribe reported him to the Supreme Court, alleging that Cepeda was manipulating testimonies of imprisoned former paramilitaries, Telesur details.

During 2018, the Court closed the case against Cepeda due to lack of evidence and, instead, opened an investigation against Uribe for alleged witness manipulation. Since then, the former president has gone from accuser to defendant, in a process that has included house arrest in 2020, resigning his seat as senator and transferring the case to ordinary justice.

Senator Iván Cepeda said that all charges have been tried and that the case is an example of “justice coming, even if it is late.” For her part, the senator for the Democratic Center, Paloma Valencia reaffirmed Uribe's innocence and pointed out that “there is no single piece of evidence that incriminates him.”

Colombia remains attentive to the outcome of a process that combines legal implications, political tensions and electoral repercussions, marking a key moment for democracy and the country's judicial system

Mazo News Team