Former Colombian President Uribe Sentenced to 12 Years House Arrest

Former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe has been sentenced to 12 years of house arrest, marking the first conviction of a former head of state in Colombia. He was found guilty of witness tampering and bribery, with the charges relating to allegations that he ordered a lawyer to bribe jailed paramilitaries to discredit claims of his ties to these groups. In addition to house arrest, Uribe was fined $578,000 and banned from holding public office for over eight years. Uribe maintains his innocence and has vowed to appeal the ruling, which has sparked a political controversy ahead of Colombia's 2026 presidential election. The conviction has elicited mixed reactions, including criticism from U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, who described it as a "weaponization" of Colombia's judiciary, while others see it as a necessary step for judicial accountability. The case could also impact Colombia's relations with the United States, given Uribe's historical support from Washington for his hardline stance against leftist guerrillas.