On Tuesday, August 4th,the Colombian Supreme Court sentenced ex-President Álvaro Uribe Vélez to house arrest, as announced by the politician himself. The Colombian politician was accused of obstruction of justice through witness tampering in a case against his brother, Santiago Uribe Vélez.

The investigation, which began in October of 2019, was not unusual, as all Colombian ex-Presidents are typically investigated. This case, however, began to make historical turns when the ex-President was the first to have an investigative judicial declaration made against him and is now the first-ever ex-President to be detained.

It began in 2014 when Senator Ivan Cepeda, a member of an opposing political party, accused Uribe of having ties with a paramilitary group and having 42 witnesses to attest the affiliation. Their testimony stated that the ex-President and his brother established a branch of the paramilitary group called “Bloque Metro,” which was a violent movement against guerilla groups. Santiago Uribe Vélez was arrested in 2016 for founding another paramilitary group, “Los Doce Apostoles.”

After the accusations were made against the then Senator, Uribe requested that the Supreme Court look at Senator Cepeda for bribing the witnesses. The court not only disregarded the request but began looking into Uribe himself after one of the witnesses– who had retracted their statement against the politician– claimed that he was pressured by Diego Cadena, one of Uribe’s defense lawyers.

Álvaro Uribe Vélez is one of the most controversial and influential politicians in Colombia. After his time as President from 2002-2010, he backed candidates in the following three presidential elections, all of which have been sworn in as Presidents themselves.

The current President Iván Duque has since signaled his support of Uribe stating, “Now and forever will I be a believer in the innocence and honor of those who lead by example and earn a spot in Colombian history.”

On the other hand, the Director of American Human Rights Watch, José Miguel Vivanco, tweeted his support of the Supreme Court’s ruling stating, “The Court demonstrates that everyone– even the most powerful– are equal in the eyes of the law. We must respect judicial independence. The International community will support the Court.”

The investigation into the ex-President will continue to unfold, with the expectation that Uribe remain under house arrest.

*Developing Story

This article was written byIsabella Cuellarcurrently based in Bogotá, Colombia. Please reach out the author via [email protected].Photo credit: Juan Zamara / EFE