The Latin American Report # 556

Former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe was found guilty of attempting to improperly influence three former paramilitaries who were serving as witnesses in a 2012 congressional investigation aimed to establish his alleged ties to paramilitary groups. Thus, the right-wing leader becomes the first former president in the modern era of the coffee-producing nation to be convicted—a process his supporters and allies, both domestically and abroad, have dismissed as lawfare.

"Uribe's only crime has been to tirelessly fight and defend his homeland," U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote yesterday on X. "The weaponization of Colombia's judicial branch by radical judges has now set a worrisome precedent," he added. Judge Sandra Heredia, however, firmly upheld Uribe's guilt. "Justice has arrived as it should: calmly, thoughtfully, and without pressure," she said. "This trial is not a judgment on political history, nor is it revenge. It is an act of justice, and justice alone," the magistrate added, defending the judiciary's independence.

"The world must respect the judges of Colombia," President Gustavo Petro wrote for his part, while former senator Humberto de la Calle stressed that "respect for institutions is the only possible response, beyond the political emotions stirred by these events." While Uribe is praised in some circles for his tough stance against guerrillas and general insecurity during his tenure, this same debate includes accusations that he somehow fueled painful phenomena such as the "false positives"—innocent (young people) killed and presented as guerrillas to inflate statistics and secure promotions—as well as being linked to judicial espionage.

The case does not concern whether he actually had ties to paramilitaries, but rather his attempt to manipulate witness testimony in his favor through coercion, with sound evidence, to my judgment, proving it. Uribe did not admit to attempting to flip witnesses but acknowledged seeking interviews with them to prepare for his trial and verify testimonies. He is expected to appeal and, if sentenced (which could reach up to 12 years), serve his time under house arrest.

Ecuador

In the early hours of yesterday, Tuesday, armed men in three trucks stormed a house where a person under house arrest—under police guard—was living. The assailants easily overpowered the officer, stole his weapons, and killed all five people inside the residence, including a 16-year-old teenager. The other three victims also had criminal records, according to EFE. Manabí, a coastal province, has recently experienced a surge in violence allegedly linked to the still recent capture of powerful drug lord José Adolfo Macías, who was extradited to the U.S. last week. He was caught following over a year on the run from a prison in Guayaquil, in the also coastal province of Guayas. In the latter, specifically in the municipality of El Empalme, 17 people were killed and 11 injured in a bar attack last Sunday. Earlier, the ruthless gunmen had murdered two others. Once again, Ecuador's coast is stained with blood.