Former Colombian President Is Sentenced to House Arrest in Witness-Tampering Case
In two terms that ended in 2010, Uribe led a military offensive that severely weakened the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, making him a revered figure among many Colombians. But rights abuses by Colombia's army and right-wing paramilitary groups tarnished his image.
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CBS News
5 hours ago
- CBS News
Colombian ex-President Álvaro Uribe sentenced to 12 years house arrest for bribery
Former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe was sentenced Friday to 12 years of house arrest for witness tampering and bribery in a historic case that gripped the South American nation and tarnished the conservative strongman's legacy. The sentence, which Uribe said will be appealed, followed a nearly six-month trial in which prosecutors presented evidence that he attempted to influence witnesses who accused the law-and-order leader of having links to a paramilitary group in the 1990s. "Politics prevailed over the law in sentencing," Uribe said after Friday's hearing. Uribe, 73, has denied any wrongdoing. He faced up to 12 years in prison after being convicted Monday. His attorney had asked the court to allow Uribe to remain free while he appeals the verdict. Judge Sandra Heredia on Friday said she did not grant the defense's request because it would be "easy" for the former president to leave the country to "evade the imposed sanction." Heredia also banned Uribe from holding public office for eight years and fined him about $776,000. Ahead of Friday's sentencing, Uribe posted on X that he was preparing arguments to support his appeal. He added that one must "think much more about the solution than the problem" during personal crises. The appeals court will have until early October to issue a ruling, which either party could then challenge before Colombia's Supreme Court. The former president governed from 2002 to 2010 with strong support from the United States. He is a polarizing figure in Colombia, where many credit him for saving the country from becoming a failed state, while others associate him with human rights violations and the rise of paramilitary groups in the 1990s. Heredia on Monday said she had seen enough evidence to determine that Uribe conspired with a lawyer to coax three former paramilitary group members, who were in prison, into changing testimony they had provided to Ivan Cepeda, a leftist senator who had launched an investigation into Uribe's alleged ties to a paramilitary group. Uribe in 2012 filed a libel suit against Cepeda in the Supreme Court. But in a twist, the high court in 2018 dismissed the accusations against Cepeda and began investigating Uribe. Martha Peñuela Rosales, a supporter of Uribe's party in the capital, Bogota, said she wept and prayed after hearing of the sentence. "It's an unjust sentence. He deserves to be free," she said. Meanwhile, Sergio Andrés Parra, who protested against Uribe outside the courthouse, said the 12-year sentence "is enough" and, even if the former president appeals, "history has already condemned him." During Uribe's presidency, Colombia's military attained some of its biggest battlefield victories against Latin America's oldest leftist insurgency, pushing the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia into remote pockets and forcing the group's leadership into peace talks that led to the disarmament of more than 13,000 fighters in 2016.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Analysis-Leader for life? El Salvador's Bukele headed that way, critics say
By Emily Green (Reuters) -There was no shortage of warning signs that El Salvador President Nayib Bukele would attempt to stay in power indefinitely, his critics say. There was the time Bukele stormed the legislative assembly with armed soldiers during his first year in office. Or a year after that, when his allies in the congress removed top Supreme Court judges and the attorney general and replaced them with Bukele loyalists. Then last year, Bukele ran for a consecutive term as president after the new Supreme Court judges reinterpreted the constitution. But the final tipping point came on Thursday afternoon, when a little-known legislator from Bukele's ruling New Ideas party announced a proposal to amend the constitution to allow indefinite presidential reelection. Bukele allies lined up one by one to sign a petition that would allow the assembly to vote on the legislation immediately, without it first going to committee for analysis or public debate. A mere three hours passed from the time the legislation was introduced until the moment it became law. Fifty-seven lawmakers voted in favor, with three in opposition. Ernesto Castro, the assembly president, framed the vote as a win for democracy. "The people will decide how long they want a leader to remain in office," Castro wrote on X. "With these decisive measures, we are ensuring a stronger, fairer and more efficient democracy." Marcela Villatoro, one of the three legislators to vote against the measure, countered late on Thursday: "Democracy has died in El Salvador today." The constitutional change also lengthened the presidential term by a year to six, eliminated runoffs, and moved up the next presidential election by two years to 2027, leaving little room for Bukele's scattered opposition to find a candidate. DEEPENING CRACKDOWN Bukele, who swept to power in 2019, is extremely popular in El Salvador because of his strong-arm tactics that have eliminated the country's once-powerful street gangs. That, combined with his effective crackdown on opponents, virtually guarantees that the 44-year-old will remain in office until at least 2033 — and perhaps many years after that. Human rights groups accuse Bukele of widespread abuses and corruption, and a flood of rights activists and journalists have fled the country in recent months after two outspoken critics were arrested and jailed. A spokesperson for Bukele did not respond to requests for comment about the constitutional change, whether he plans to run for re-election, or the opposition's assertion that democracy was being destroyed. In the U.S., El Salvador's constitutional amendment was largely met with silence. Bukele is Trump's strongest ally in Latin America, a relationship cemented by an agreement reached in March for El Salvador to house 238 Venezuelans deported from the U.S. in a maximum-security prison. In April, Trump called Bukele "one hell of a president." U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio did not respond to a request for comment on the constitutional change. "The U.S. government is shielding the Bukele regime with its silence," said Gina Romero, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association. "Bukele has complete control of the courts, the congress, the media and the narrative. If that's not autocracy I don't know what is." In El Salvador, the reaction to Thursday's measure was muted. Democracy is relatively new in the country -- it was established during 1992 peace accords that ended a brutal 12-year civil war -- and many Salvadorans consider it a failure given the power that gangs amassed during that time. The news appeared on the front pages of the country's most popular papers. But there were no protests, and many people were more focused on getting ready for a week-long vacation, with government offices closed next week. Many of Bukele's most outspoken critics have fled the country, including an estimated 100 journalists and human rights activists. In July, the country's leading human rights group suspended operations. Bertha Maria Deleon, a lawyer and activist who worked for Bukele from 2015 to 2019, said Bukele's rise to power was fueled by what she saw at the time as a legitimate desire to improve El Salvador. He promised to end corruption after three consecutive presidents were accused of embezzling millions of dollars of public funds. Deleon broke with Bukele after he occupied the parliament in 2020. She said everything he has done since then has been an effort to consolidate power. "Ever since that takeover of parliament, he clearly began to execute the dictators' manual," she said. Solve the daily Crossword
Fox News
8 hours ago
- Fox News
Migrant crossings through long-troubled Darién Gap plummet to near zero amid Trump crackdown
Panama's notorious Darien Gap, once a treacherous corridor for tens of thousands of U.S.-bound migrants, including dangerous criminals, is now virtually deserted amid President Donald Trump's aggressive immigration crackdown and Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino's vow to shutter the deadly route. Migrant crossings in the remote 2,600-mile jungle trek connecting Colombia to Panama – which officials described as "notorious for exposing migrants, including children and the most vulnerable, to sexual abuse, trafficking, and exploitation" – have plummeted to just 10 in June, according to figures released by both the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Panama's National Migration Service. The new figures mark a staggering 99.98% drop from the route's peak under the Biden administration in August 2023, when more than 82,000 migrants surged through the gap in a single month, according to the DHS. The sharp decline follows months of coordinated enforcement measures, including Trump's mass deportation campaign and Mulino's push to seal off the passage with increased immigration patrols. Officials say the joint effort is deterring migrants before they even begin the perilous journey. "In Panama's Darien Gap, migrants are now turning BACK before they even reach our border— only 10 migrants crossed in June," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement Thursday. "This is more than a 99.98% drop from the Biden high when 82,000 illegal aliens crossed in a single month. The world is hearing our message that America's borders are closed to lawbreakers. Thanks to President Trump and Secretary Noem, we have the most secure border in American history." The White House emphasized that under Trump's immigration policies, the U.S. Border Patrol has not released a single illegal migrant into the country in recent months. "While immigration 'experts' and the mainstream media speculate over why fewer migrants are trying to illegally enter the United States, the real reason is evident to anyone paying attention, including the migrants themselves: President Trump," White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said in a statement Friday to Fox News Digital. "Word of the United States' secure border has spread so far around the world, that migrants aren't even willing to make the dangerous journey to get here because they know they'll be turned away. In recent months, Border Patrol has released zero illegal aliens into the United States. That's a stat known all the way from here to the Darien Gap." McLaughlin added that the administration remains focused on removing those already in the country unlawfully. "President Trump and Secretary Noem have been clear: If you come to our country illegally, we will find you, arrest you, and deport you. That's a promise," McLaughlin said in a statement Friday to Fox News Digital. The DHS also issued a warning to undocumented immigrants currently residing inside the U.S., encouraging them to voluntarily depart through the CBP Home App, a platform that offers cash incentives to self-deport. "With the most secure border in American history, DHS is focused on deporting those who break our nation's laws," DHS said on Thursday. "If you are here illegally, use the CBP Home App to take control of your departure and receive financial support to return home. Illegal aliens who use the CBP Home App to self-deport also receive cost-free travel and a $1,000 exit bonus, paid after their return is confirmed through the app."
