Colombian ex-president Uribe convicted of witness tampering
The matter dates to 2012, when Uribe accused leftist senator Ivan Cepeda before the Supreme Court of hatching a plot to falsely link him to right-wing paramilitary groups involved in Colombia's long-standing armed conflict. The court decided against prosecuting Cepeda and turned its sights on his claims against Uribe instead.
Paramilitary groups emerged in the 1980s in Colombia to fight Marxist guerrillas that had taken up arms against the state two decades earlier with the stated goal of combating poverty and political marginalization, especially in rural areas. A plethora of armed groups adopted cocaine as their main source of income, the genesis of a deadly rivalry for resources and trafficking routes that continues to this day.
Uribe was a politician on the right of the political spectrum – like all Colombian presidents before current leader Gustavo Petro, who unseated Uribe's Democratic Center party in 2022 elections.
During his tenure, Uribe led a relentless military campaign against drug cartels and the FARC guerrilla army that signed a peace deal with his successor Juan Manuel Santos in 2016.
After Cepeda accused him of having had ties to paramilitary groups responsible for human rights violations, Uribe is alleged to have contacted jailed ex-fighters to lie for him. He claims he only wanted to convince them to tell the truth.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Euronews
10 hours ago
- Euronews
US Treasury sanctions Brazilian judge overseeing Bolsonaro's trial
The United States Treasury Department announced on Wednesday it would impose sanctions on Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, the judge who oversees the criminal case against Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro. 'De Moraes is responsible for an oppressive campaign of censorship, arbitrary detentions that violate human rights, and politicised prosecutions, including against former President Jair Bolsonaro,' US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement. Bolsonaro is on trial at the Supreme Court, where he is accused of leading an alleged attempt to stage a coup to overturn the 2022 election, in which he was defeated by left-wing president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, in an attempt to stay in power. President Lula condemned the sanctions on X, claiming that "the interference of the American government in Brazilian Justice is unacceptable." He also emphasised that "the Brazilian government stands in solidarity with (de Moraes)." Without naming Bolsonaro, Lula added that de Moraes is "targeted by sanctions motivated by the actions of Brazilian poiticians who betray our homeland and our people in defence of their own interests." United States President Donald Trump has previously expressed support for Bolsonaro, comparing the former Brazilian president's situation with his own legal battles, and claiming the trial is a "witch hunt". Earlier in July, Trump imposed a 50% tariff on Brazilian imported goods, directly linking the import tax to the trial against Bolsonaro. On Wednesday, the US president signed an executive order to effectively implement those tariffs, citing Brazil's "recent policies, practices, and actions" as a threat to national security, foreign policy and the economy. Bolsonaro's son, Eduardo, applauded the announcement made by the US Treasury Department, praising it as a "historic milestone". Eduardo Bolsonaro relocated to the US in March and is under investigation for working with US authorities to impose sanctions against Brazilian officials.
LeMonde
a day ago
- LeMonde
Trump announces new tariffs as deadline nears
US President Donald Trump imposed new tariffs to punish or favor major trading partners on Wednesday, July 30, as governments raced to strike deals with Washington less than 24 hours before an August 1 deadline. South Korea squeezed in at the last moment, securing agreement on a 15% tariff for exports to the United States – significantly below the 25% that Trump had earlier threatened to introduce. But Trump also announced crippling 50% tariffs on Brazil and a 25% levy on Indian exports, while warning Canada it would face trade repercussions for planning to recognize a Palestinian state. The 15% rate on Seoul, Washington's key security ally, was equivalent to levies determined from US trade deals with Japan and the European Union. An additional unspecified "large sum of money" will be invested by South Korea in the US, the American leader said. Seoul's presidential office said tariffs on automobiles – one of Seoul's key exports – would also stay at 15%. Trump hit Brazil with high tariffs as well as sanctions against the judge overseeing a trial of his far-right ally Jair Bolsonaro, who is accused of attempting a coup in Latin America's biggest economy. But he delayed its implementation from Friday to August 6, and crucially exempted many products from the prohibitive levy, including orange juice, civil aircraft, iron ore and some energy products. Canada trade threat He had threatened to wield US economic might to punish Brazil – and its Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, in particular, for what he has termed a "witch hunt" against former president Bolsonaro. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said he would defend "the sovereignty of the Brazilian people in the face of measures announced by the president of the United States." Among Trump's latest announcements were a 25% duty on Indian goods to begin Friday – slightly lower than previously threatened – after talks between Washington and New Delhi failed to bring about a trade pact. India would face an unspecified "penalty" over purchases of Russian weapons and energy as well, Trump said. "I don't care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. "We have done very little business with India, their Tariffs are too high, among the highest in the World," he added. Canada's trade relations with the US also came under threat after Prime Minister Mark Carney announced plans to recognize a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September. "Wow! Canada has just announced that it is backing statehood for Palestine," the US president wrote on his Truth Social platform. "That will make it very hard for us to make a Trade Deal with them." 'Big day for America' He also signed an order Wednesday to impose previously threatened 50% tariffs on certain copper products and end a tariff exemption for low-value shipments from abroad. It left out products like copper ores, concentrates and cathodes, bringing some relief to industry. As Trump's deal deadline neared, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told Fox News that Washington had struck trade deals with Cambodia and Thailand, but provided no details of the accords. The US tariff hikes due Friday were initially announced in April as part of a package in which Trump slapped a minimum 10% levy on goods from almost all trading partners, citing unfair trade practices. This rate was set to rise to varying levels for dozens of economies such as the European Union, Japan and others, but Washington twice postponed their implementation as financial markets gyrated. The US leader insisted Wednesday that the August 1 deadline "will not be extended" any further. In a Truth Social post, he vowed that this would be "a big day for America." So far, Britain, Vietnam, Japan, Indonesia, the Philippines, the EU and South Korea have reached initial deals with Washington to secure less punishing conditions. While the US and China earlier slapped escalating tariffs on each other's products, both sides are working to further a truce maintaining duties at lower levels. Although Trump has promised a surge in government revenues from his duties, economists warn that higher tariffs can fuel an uptick in inflation and weigh on economic growth. This could change consumption patterns. Already, consumers face an overall average effective tariff rate that is the highest since the 1930s, according to a recent analysis by The Budget Lab at Yale University. The effect on consumer prices has been limited so far. But analysts cautioned this could become more pronounced as businesses run down on existing inventory and pass on more costs to buyers.
Euronews
2 days ago
- Euronews
US sanctions Brazil judge overseeing Bolsonaro case
The United States Treasury Department announced on Wednesday it would impose sanctions on Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, the judge who oversees the criminal case against Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro. 'De Moraes is responsible for an oppressive campaign of censorship, arbitrary detentions that violate human rights, and politicised prosecutions, including against former President Jair Bolsonaro,' US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement. Bolsonaro is on trial at the Supreme Court, where he is accused of leading an alleged attempt to stage a coup to overturn the 2022 election, in which he was defeated by left-wing president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, in an attempt to stay in power. President Lula condemned the sanctions on X, claiming that "the interference of the American government in Brazilian Justice is unacceptable." He also emphasised that "the Brazilian government stands in solidarity with [de Moraes]." Without naming Bolsonaro, Lula added that de Moraes is "targeted by sanctions motivated by the actions of Brazilian poiticians who betray our homeland and our people in defence of their own interests." United States President Donald Trump has previously expressed support for Bolsonaro, comparing the former Brazilian president's situation with his own legal battles, and claiming the trial is a "witch hunt." Earlier in July, Trump imposed a 50% tariff on Brazilian imported goods, directly linking the import tax to the trial against Bolsonaro. On Wednesday, the US President signed an exectuive order to effectively implement those tariffs, citing Brazil's "recent policies, practices, and actions" as a threat to US national security, foreign policy, and the economy. Bolsonaro's son, Eduardo, applauded the announcement made by the US Treasury Department, praising it as a "historic milestone." Eduardo Bolsonaro relocated to the US in March and is under investigation for working with US authorities to impose sanctions against Brazilian officials.
