Álvaro Uribe Vélez, former president of Colombia who governed from 2002 to 2010, was convicted on July 31, 2025, for procedural fraud and witness bribery in a case dating back to 2012. This marks the first time a former Colombian president has been criminally sentenced. On August 1, 2025, Judge Sandra Liliana Heredia sentenced Uribe to 12 years of house arrest and imposed a fine of approximately 3.2 billion Colombian pesos (around $578,000). The sentence includes the automatic loss of Uribe's political rights, preventing him from voting or holding public office during the 12-year term. Uribe's defense announced plans to appeal the ruling, and a legal motion was filed requesting that he be allowed to continue the appeal process in freedom. However, the Superior Court of Bogotá denied a request to suspend his house arrest. The case has intensified political polarization in Colombia, with Uribe's supporters claiming the conviction has political motives and calling for his immediate release. Former Colombian president Ernesto Samper and other regional leaders have urged respect for the judicial decision, while Uribe has denounced alleged judicial bias and invoked international justice. The conviction has reignited debates about Uribe's controversial legacy, particularly his hardline policies against drug trafficking and paramilitary groups during his presidency. The ruling comes amid ongoing concerns about cocaine-related violence and political tensions under the administration of current leftist President Gustavo Petro. The defense has until August 13, 2025, to file an appeal, and the legal and political ramifications of the verdict are expected to continue unfolding.