An appellate court in Bogotá, Colombia, has overturned the house arrest of conservative former President Álvaro Uribe, declaring the measure a violation of his presumption of innocence and unsupported by evidence. Uribe, who governed Colombia from 2002 to 2010, is appealing a conviction for bribery and abuse of procedure that many conservatives argue amounts to political persecution.
The charges stemmed from Uribe’s 2012 lawsuit against leftist Senator Iván Cepeda, alleging Cepeda bribed criminals to falsely accuse Uribe of ties to paramilitary groups. Colombian courts dismissed Uribe’s claims and instead launched a case against him, resulting in a 12-year house arrest sentence earlier this month. The lower court also fined him $840,000 and banned him from public office for more than eight years.
The Superior Court of Bogotá struck down the order Tuesday night, ruling the lower court’s decision relied on “generic, ambiguous, subjective” arguments that discriminated against Uribe because of his prominence as a conservative leader. The judges emphasized that Uribe presented no flight risk and continues to participate openly in Colombian politics.
Uribe thanked God and his supporters in a statement, vowing to dedicate his freedom to defending Colombia’s liberty. A central figure in modern Colombian politics, Uribe is credited with strengthening ties to the United States and weakening communist guerrilla groups like the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) during his presidency. He now leads the Democratic Center, Colombia’s largest conservative party.
Supporters point to escalating violence against conservative leaders as evidence of a broader campaign of persecution. In June, Miguel Uribe Turbay, a rising Democratic Center senator and presidential frontrunner, was assassinated. Medellín’s conservative mayor Federico Gutiérrez has faced multiple plots against his life, and other right-leaning lawmakers have come under armed attack.
The case against Uribe has drawn criticism from U.S. conservatives. Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the “weaponization” of Colombia’s courts, while Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH), who was born in Colombia, met with Uribe during a recent visit and praised his legacy.
Conservatives in Colombia continue to mobilize in Uribe’s defense, viewing the case as part of a broader strategy under President Gustavo Petro’s leftist government to silence opposition. With the 2026 elections approaching, many see Uribe’s fate as symbolic of Colombia’s political future.
