Bogotá Appeals Court Acquits Álvaro Uribe After Overturning 12-Year House-Arrest Sentence

Overview

• The Tribunal Superior de Bogotá revoked the August first-instance verdict for subornation and procedural fraud, saying the evidence did not prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
• The panel annulled 2018 phone intercepts authorized while Uribe was a senator, ruling they violated his privacy because the taps were not directed at him.
• Presiding judge Manuel Antonio Merchán cited methodological errors and misinterpretations in the original ruling, including readings of calls that he said showed no intent to induce false testimony, and the court ordered an inquiry into Carlos Enrique Vélez for alleged perjury.
• The decision passed 2–1, vacating a 12-year house-arrest sentence that had briefly confined Uribe for 19 days in August.
• Victims’ counsel said they will seek Supreme Court review, as President Gustavo Petro condemned the acquittal and called for demonstrations on Friday, while separate investigations involving Uribe remain open.