Colombian president Gustavo Petro, said Friday that the former president Álvaro Uribe (2002-2010) is the main responsible for the criminal process that resulted in its 12 -year prison sentence in home by pointing out that it was himself who “built the strategy” that today has it in that judicial situation.
“Who built the strategy for the conviction of former president Álvaro Uribe, was the former president who initiated the process by denouncing Iván Cepeda, and then, he put himself in the hands of the judge, when renouncing the Senate.”the president wrote in X.
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With that message, the Head of State unmarked any link with the sentence issued today by the judge Sandra Herediawhich condemned Uribe for the crimes of procedural fraud and bribery in criminal action, in a case that he initiated in 2012 when he denounced Senator Iván Cepeda for alleged manipulation of witnesses.
That statement of Petro was in response to Jerónimo Uribeson of the ex -president, who suggested that the sentence had political motivations and was part of a government strategy: “This, with due respect to Mr. Jerónimo, is a slander”the president replied.
Read more: Colombia: Álvaro Uribe resorts to “prayer” before appealing his conviction
Sandra Heredia, head of the 44th Criminal Court of the Bogotá Circuit, issued the sentence of 12 years in prison against Uribe, a fine of more than 3.4 billion Colombian pesos (about 822,000 dollars) and also disabled it for more than eight years for the exercise of public rights and functions.
In the sentence, Heredia ordered the immediate arrest of Uribe, 73, to fulfill the penalty at his home, in Rionegro, town of the Department of Antioquia (Northwest), although there is still an appeal that his defense will file on August 13.
Read more: Colombia: Judge criticizes the judgment against Uribe and the former president reacts angry
The sentence was not exempt from criticism from other former presidents such as Andrés Pastrana (1998-2002), direct predecessor of Uribe in the Government, who expressed his disagreement with the penalty.
“Mrs. Judge, in the conviction of Mr. President Álvaro Uribe, whose presumption of innocence remains intact, her hand went”said Pastrana in X.
