Former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe Velez. Photo: EFE/File photo.
Former Colombian president Alvaro Uribe (2002–2010), convicted in a high-profile bribery case, is once again seeking a seat in the Senate. His party, the right-wing Democratic Center, announced Wednesday that Uribe will occupy the 25th spot on its 2026 candidate list — if his ongoing judicial troubles don’t block him.
Party leader Gabriel Vallejo admitted that the decision came directly from Uribe himself, calling it “an honor” despite the ex-president’s tarnished record.
Uribe, who has long been accused of ties to paramilitary groups, became Colombia’s first ex-head of state to be criminally convicted after a judge found him guilty of bribery in criminal proceedings and procedural fraud. Judge Sandra Heredia sentenced him to 12 years of house arrest and barred him from holding public office for over eight years.
Documentos del National Security Archive revelan que los vínculos de Álvaro Uribe con paramilitares y narcos eran conocidos por Estados Unidos, que optó por protegerlo. Este blindaje permitió la captura del Estado y el despojo del pueblo colombiano. https://t.co/iao70p4MBX pic.twitter.com/apa7zXJKLa
— teleSUR TV (@teleSURtv) September 11, 2025
The text reads: Documents from the National Security Archive reveal that Álvaro Uribe’s ties to paramilitaries and drug traffickers were well known to the United States, which chose to protect him. This enabled the capture of the state and the dispossession of the Colombian people.
The case traces back to 2012, when Uribe tried to silence left-wing senator Ivan Cepeda by accusing him of manipulating witnesses. Instead, the Supreme Court found that it was Uribe who orchestrated witness tampering to cover up his paramilitary ties.
Colombia: Declassified Intelligence Document Links Álvaro Uribe to Medellín Cartel
Despite his criminal conviction, Uribe refuses to step back from politics.
Colombia heads to legislative elections on March 8, 2026, followed by the presidential first round on May 31 and, if necessary, a runoff on June 21.
