Former Colombian President Uribe denies bribery and witness tampering charges in historic trial

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BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe on Monday denied charges of bribery and witness tampering as he made his opening statement in the first criminal trial of a former president in the country’s history.

Speaking to a judge in the capital, Bogota, Uribe said that he would prove that the charges against him “are politically motivated.”

The charges stem from allegations that Uribe attempted to influence witnesses in a case brought against him by leftist senator Iván Cepeda, who accused the conservative leader of having links to a paramilitary group founded by ranchers in the 1990s to fight rebel groups.

The case dates back to 2012, when Uribe filed a libel suit against Cepeda with the Supreme Court, the entity charged with investigating elected officials. But in a surprising turn of events, the court dismissed charges against Cepeda and launched an investigation against Uribe in 2018.

Proceedings against the former president were transferred to another court after Uribe retired from the Colombian senate.

The probe against Uribe was delayed multiple times by prosecutors who said there was not enough evidence against the former president to file charges, but investigations have proceeded more swiftly under the government of President Gustavo Petro, the leftist leader who was elected into office in 2022.

Uribe was formally charged last year, and his trial began last week.

The combative conservative governed Colombia from 2002 to 2010 with strong support from the United States.

During Uribe's presidency Colombia’s military attained some of its biggest victories against rebel groups and pushed fighters from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia into remote pockets of the country, forcing the group’s leadership to enter peace talks with the government that led to the disarmament of more than 13,000 fighters in 2016.

Uribe still has legions of followers in Colombia and is one of the most vocal opponents of Petro.

Dozens of supporters gathered outside the courthouse Monday, waving Colombian flags and carrying masks depicting the former president’s face.

“It was my patriotic duty to come here and support this great Colombian,” said Jesús Vivas, a 67-year-old Uribe supporter. “He saved this country when it was about to collapse.”

Prosecutors have accused Uribe of employing a lawyer who met imprisoned former members of paramilitary groups, and allegedly pressured them to change testimony that they had provided to Cepeda, the senator who accused Uribe of organizing right-wing death squads.

On Monday, Uribe denied flipping witnesses but acknowledged seeking interviews with former paramilitary members to “verify testimonies” that were also being used in a trial against his brother, Santiago Uribe.

The former president’s brother was acquitted last year of murder charges, and was also absolved of accusations that he had supported an armed group.

Uribe could face up to 12 years in prison if he is found guilty of witness tampering and bribery.

But the charges against the former president, which were first filed in 2018, expire in October, meaning that the court only has eight months to reach a decision.

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