Reuters informed about the penalty for 73-year-old Uribe, citing a source familiar with the case and a document that was also published in local media before reading the decision in court. The politician is to report to the authorities in Rionegro in the province of Antioquia, where he lives, in order to immediately start home custody in his residence.
There was a head of state will also be fined in the amount of 578 thousand. dollars, as well as a ban on performing public functions for over eight years. Lawyers representing the convict announced an appeal against the judgment.
The former president still has many supporters in the country. In 2026, presidential elections will take place in Columbia, in which his allies and protgans announced.
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The conviction of the former president will worsen the relations of Colombia from the USA?
Reuters points out that the judgment may have a negative impact on Colombia's relations with the USA. The head of American diplomacy Marco Rubio stood up this week in defense of Uribe, claiming that “the instrumentalization of the Colombian justice system by radical judges created a disturbing precedent.”
At the end of May 2024, the Prosecutor's Office of Columbia formally accused the former president, which was the first such case in the history of the country. However, the case has been pending against him for about 13 years.
The former president denies that he has committed any crime, accusing the prosecutor's office that he was guided by the desire for “political revenge”.
Alvaro Uribe ruled Colombia in the years 2002-2010 and enjoyed the strong support of the United States. With financial support, the US conducted a broadly military military offensive against leftist guerrillas, such as Farc and ELN. He still has many supporters in Colombia. In 2016, he headed the campaign, which led to the referee in the referendum of a peace agreement with FARC, although later a slightly changed contract was adopted.
