Álvaro Uribe receives the release order and immediately calls for a first public act

Bogotá.- Former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe received this Wednesday the release order from the Justice while the sentence to twelve years in prison under house arrest to which he was sentenced is resolved in the second instance, and immediately convened a public act in the town of Sabaneta, near Medellín. “I have just received the release order. At 5 pm on the streets of Sabaneta. Then mass at María Auxiliadora. I will dedicate every minute of my freedom to fight for the freedom of Colombia”, wrote Uribe, who was president of Colombia between 2002 and 2010, on his X account.

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The release order was issued by the 44th Criminal Court of Bogotá, the same court that on August 1 sentenced Uribe to twelve years in prison under house arrest after finding him guilty of the crimes of procedural fraud and bribery in criminal proceedings. That order was taken in compliance with what was stated by the Criminal Decision Chamber of the Superior Court of Bogotá, which yesterday resolved to “protect the fundamental right to the individual liberty of citizen Álvaro Uribe Vélez” by ruling on a tutela action (amparo recourse) filed by his defense so that he can remain free while his trial concludes. The court thus annulled the decision of Judge Sandra Heredia, who in the sentence had ordered his “immediate deprivation of liberty,” which Uribe, 73 years old, was serving in his country house in the town of Rionegro, near Medellín. On Tuesday, after learning of the ruling in his favor, Uribe, founder and leader of the right-wing Democratic Center party, in the opposition, had already stated that he would dedicate every minute from now on “to the freedom of Colombia”. Despite the imposed sentence, Uribe has maintained from home an intense political activity related to the legislative and presidential elections of 2026, giving instructions to his party colleagues. The process against Uribe, which has as its counterpart the left-wing senator Iván Cepeda, is in the hands of the Superior Court of Bogotá, which no later than October 16 must rule on the appeal filed by the defense against the first instance ruling.