Colombia's Attorney General's office has opened an investigation into former President Alvaro Uribe for crimes linked to the creation of a paramilitary group, two massacres, and the murder of a human rights defender.
The investigation into former President Alvaro Uribe raises significant questions about accountability for past atrocities in Colombia and could impact the country's political landscape, particularly in the context of an upcoming presidential election.
Colombia's Attorney General's office has initiated an investigation into former President Alvaro Uribe for alleged crimes linked to the creation of a paramilitary group, two massacres, and the murder of a human rights defender. Uribe, 73, who served as president from 2002 to 2010, has been summoned for questioning, though a date has not yet been set.
This new probe emerges as Uribe faces ongoing legal scrutiny. He was convicted last year for fraud and bribery in a witness tampering case, a decision that could have led to a 12-year house arrest sentence but was overturned on appeal and is now under review by the country's top court. Uribe has consistently maintained his innocence, characterizing the legal proceedings as political persecution.
The witness tampering case centered on allegations that Uribe orchestrated a scheme to bribe jailed paramilitaries to discredit claims of his ties to their organizations. Paramilitary groups, funded by various sectors of society to protect themselves from leftist guerrillas, are estimated to be responsible for nearly half of the deaths in Colombia's conflict between 1985 and 2018. Uribe's brother was convicted last year for crimes linked to paramilitaries.
Uribe has publicly criticized the new investigation, alleging political pressure and ties between Senator Ivan Cepeda, a victim in the witness tampering case, and the prosecutor who summoned him. Colombians are preparing to elect their next president in a runoff vote that will feature Cepeda against right-wing lawyer Abelardo De La Espriella, who has Uribe's backing.