Overview

• Judge Sandra Heredia convicted Uribe of fraud procesal and witness bribery, imposing 12 years of house arrest in a first-ever verdict against a former Colombian president.
• The court ordered a fine of approximately $578,000, with some reports citing up to $822,000, and barred Uribe from public office for eight years and nine months.
• Prosecutors concluded that Uribe instigated his lawyer to bribe three ex-paramilitary witnesses with money and legal benefits to secure favorable testimony.
• Uribe’s conviction has deepened political polarization in Colombia as allies prepare for the 2026 presidential elections and opponents see the ruling as a test of judicial independence.
• Legal experts project that Uribe will remain free under house arrest while his appeal proceeds in the Superior Tribunal of Bogotá.