Latest news with #Uribe
GMA Network
14-07-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
Colombian senator showing improvement after assassination attempt —clinic
Colombian presidential hopeful Senator Miguel Uribe remained sedated and on a ventilator, but "has shown a favorable and stable clinical response" to treatment, his doctors said five weeks after he was shot in the head. Raul Arboleda/ AFP BOGOTA — Colombian presidential hopeful Miguel Uribe is showing signs of improvement five weeks after he was shot in the head while giving a campaign speech, the clinic treating him in intensive care said Monday. Uribe, 39, was shot twice in the head and once in the leg by a 15-year-old suspected hitman in Bogota on June 7. He was admitted to hospital in a critical condition and underwent emergency surgery to stop internal bleeding. Five people have been arrested on suspicion of involvement in the attack on the conservative senator, including the shooter and one of the alleged masterminds. The clinic said Monday Uribe remained sedated and on a ventilator, but "has shown a favorable and stable clinical response" to treatment. It added he will undergo "neurorehabilitation," a specialized therapy for people who suffered traumatic brain injury. Uribe's wife Maria Claudia Tarazona said Sunday his condition fluctuated wildly. "It changes so quickly and is so difficult that I don't even ask what will happen tomorrow," she told Caracol Television. "I see Miguel alive, his body warm, his heart beating, his breathing... and that's what I hold onto every day," she added. Colombia is experiencing its biggest security crisis in a decade, with President Gustavo Petro's "total peace" initiative widely considered to have failed as armed groups continue fighting for control of drug crops, illegal mining and trafficking routes. — Agence France-Presse
Hamilton Spectator
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Former Colombian president Alvaro Uribe makes closing statements in witness tampering trial
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Former Colombian president Alvaro Uribe began his closing statement Monday in a high profile trial in which he is charged with bribery and witness tampering that could lead to a 12-year prison sentence. Uribe was Colombia's president from 2002 to 2010 and is still one of the nation's most influential politicians. He is accused of working with a lawyer to bribe and intimidate former members of paramilitary groups to change the statements they provided to left-wing Sen. Ivan Cepeda. Cepeda had accused the former president of forming a paramilitary group in the early 1990s and was leading an investigation. Uribe has long denied any ties to illegal armed groups. It is the first criminal trial of a former president in Colombia's history. On Monday, Uribe told a court in Bogota that he had been 'framed' by a former paramilitary leader who is now in prison. The former president said he is fighting the accusations against him to absolve himself and restore his reputation and that of his family. The case against Uribe dates back to 2012, when the former president sued Cepeda for libel in the Supreme Court, the entity charged with investigating elected officials. But in a surprising turn of events, the court dismissed charges against Cepeda and launched an investigation into Uribe's activities in 2018. The probe of Uribe was delayed multiple times by prosecutors who said there was not enough evidence against the former president to file charges, but investigations have proceeded more swiftly under the government of President Gustavo Petro , the leftist leader who was elected into office in 2022. Uribe was formally charged last year , and his trial began in February. The judge overseeing the case now has until the first week of October to deliver a verdict. Uribe was a close ally of the United States during his presidency, and is widely admired by conservatives in Colombia who credit him with turning the country around at a time when rebel groups dominated large swathes of the country and kidnapped civilians with impunity. But critics of Uribe accuse his government of turning a blind eye to human rights abuses and of supporting paramilitary groups that helped the army to push left- wing rebels into remote corners of the country. According to a truth commission created in 2017, more than 6,400 civilians were executed by the Colombian military and identified as members of rebel groups by soldiers seeking promotions during the conflict, in a phenomenon that peaked during the Uribe administration. During Uribe's presidency, Colombia worked closely with the U.S. to tackle the illegal cocaine trade, which has long funded rebel groups in Colombia, with significant reductions of Colombia's coca crop. Coca cultivation has skyrocketed under subsequent administrations, and is now four times higher than when Uribe left office in 2010. The Uribe administration also conducted key strikes on rebel leaders hiding out in jungle camps that eventually forced leaders of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia into peace negotiations that led to the group's disarmament in 2016. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
San Francisco Chronicle
07-07-2025
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Former Colombian president Alvaro Uribe makes closing statements in witness tampering trial
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Former Colombian president Alvaro Uribe began his closing statement Monday in a high profile trial in which he is charged with bribery and witness tampering that could lead to a 12-year prison sentence. Uribe was Colombia's president from 2002 to 2010 and is still one of the nation's most influential politicians. He is accused of working with a lawyer to bribe and intimidate former members of paramilitary groups to change the statements they provided to left-wing Sen. Ivan Cepeda. Cepeda had accused the former president of forming a paramilitary group in the early 1990s and was leading an investigation. Uribe has long denied any ties to illegal armed groups. It is the first criminal trial of a former president in Colombia's history. On Monday, Uribe told a court in Bogota that he had been 'framed' by a former paramilitary leader who is now in prison. The former president said he is fighting the accusations against him to absolve himself and restore his reputation and that of his family. The case against Uribe dates back to 2012, when the former president sued Cepeda for libel in the Supreme Court, the entity charged with investigating elected officials. But in a surprising turn of events, the court dismissed charges against Cepeda and launched an investigation into Uribe's activities in 2018. The probe of Uribe was delayed multiple times by prosecutors who said there was not enough evidence against the former president to file charges, but investigations have proceeded more swiftly under the government of President Gustavo Petro, the leftist leader who was elected into office in 2022. Uribe was formally charged last year, and his trial began in February. The judge overseeing the case now has until the first week of October to deliver a verdict. Uribe was a close ally of the United States during his presidency, and is widely admired by conservatives in Colombia who credit him with turning the country around at a time when rebel groups dominated large swathes of the country and kidnapped civilians with impunity. But critics of Uribe accuse his government of turning a blind eye to human rights abuses and of supporting paramilitary groups that helped the army to push left- wing rebels into remote corners of the country. According to a truth commission created in 2017, more than 6,400 civilians were executed by the Colombian military and identified as members of rebel groups by soldiers seeking promotions during the conflict, in a phenomenon that peaked during the Uribe administration. During Uribe's presidency, Colombia worked closely with the U.S. to tackle the illegal cocaine trade, which has long funded rebel groups in Colombia, with significant reductions of Colombia's coca crop. Coca cultivation has skyrocketed under subsequent administrations, and is now four times higher than when Uribe left office in 2010. The Uribe administration also conducted key strikes on rebel leaders hiding out in jungle camps that eventually forced leaders of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia into peace negotiations that led to the group's disarmament in 2016.
Toronto Star
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Toronto Star
Former Colombian president Alvaro Uribe makes closing statements in witness tampering trial
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Former Colombian president Alvaro Uribe began his closing statement Monday in a high profile trial in which he is charged with bribery and witness tampering that could lead to a 12-year prison sentence. Uribe was Colombia's president from 2002 to 2010 and is still one of the nation's most influential politicians. He is accused of working with a lawyer to bribe and intimidate former members of paramilitary groups to change the statements they provided to left-wing Sen. Ivan Cepeda. Cepeda had accused the former president of forming a paramilitary group in the early 1990s and was leading an investigation. Uribe has long denied any ties to illegal armed groups.
Winnipeg Free Press
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Former Colombian president Alvaro Uribe makes closing statements in witness tampering trial
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Former Colombian president Alvaro Uribe began his closing statement Monday in a high profile trial in which he is charged with bribery and witness tampering that could lead to a 12-year prison sentence. Uribe was Colombia's president from 2002 to 2010 and is still one of the nation's most influential politicians. He is accused of working with a lawyer to bribe and intimidate former members of paramilitary groups to change the statements they provided to left-wing Sen. Ivan Cepeda. Cepeda had accused the former president of forming a paramilitary group in the early 1990s and was leading an investigation. Uribe has long denied any ties to illegal armed groups. It is the first criminal trial of a former president in Colombia's history. On Monday, Uribe told a court in Bogota that he had been 'framed' by a former paramilitary leader who is now in prison. The former president said he is fighting the accusations against him to absolve himself and restore his reputation and that of his family. The case against Uribe dates back to 2012, when the former president sued Cepeda for libel in the Supreme Court, the entity charged with investigating elected officials. But in a surprising turn of events, the court dismissed charges against Cepeda and launched an investigation into Uribe's activities in 2018. The probe of Uribe was delayed multiple times by prosecutors who said there was not enough evidence against the former president to file charges, but investigations have proceeded more swiftly under the government of President Gustavo Petro, the leftist leader who was elected into office in 2022. Uribe was formally charged last year, and his trial began in February. The judge overseeing the case now has until the first week of October to deliver a verdict. Uribe was a close ally of the United States during his presidency, and is widely admired by conservatives in Colombia who credit him with turning the country around at a time when rebel groups dominated large swathes of the country and kidnapped civilians with impunity. But critics of Uribe accuse his government of turning a blind eye to human rights abuses and of supporting paramilitary groups that helped the army to push left- wing rebels into remote corners of the country. According to a truth commission created in 2017, more than 6,400 civilians were executed by the Colombian military and identified as members of rebel groups by soldiers seeking promotions during the conflict, in a phenomenon that peaked during the Uribe administration. During Uribe's presidency, Colombia worked closely with the U.S. to tackle the illegal cocaine trade, which has long funded rebel groups in Colombia, with significant reductions of Colombia's coca crop. Coca cultivation has skyrocketed under subsequent administrations, and is now four times higher than when Uribe left office in 2010. The Uribe administration also conducted key strikes on rebel leaders hiding out in jungle camps that eventually forced leaders of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia into peace negotiations that led to the group's disarmament in 2016.
