Colombian ex-president Uribe sentenced to 12 years house arrest

FRANCE 24 English

Visit our website: http://www.france24.com  Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FRANCE24.English  Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/France24_en

Transcript

00:00Uribe guilty.

00:03The slogan, written on banners and on walls in Colombia, celebrates the verdict handed

00:07down by the country's judiciary condemning former president Alvaro Uribe on charges of

00:12abuse of process and bribery of a public official.

00:15The witness-tampering case lasted for almost 13 years.

00:19A six-month trial and 90 witnesses later, Uribe was sentenced to 12 years house arrest

00:24and fined over US$800,000 on Friday.

00:28He is also barred from running for political office for more than eight years.

00:32For his part, Uribe decried the ruling as politically motivated.

00:36This is a ruling with political determinants close to those who have attacked Colombian

00:43democracy.

00:48Head of state from 2002 to 2010, Uribe led a military campaign against drug cartels and

00:53the FARC guerrilla army.

00:54He received strong support from the United States under both the Clinton and Bush administrations

00:59and is reviled by the Colombian left and human rights defenders, who accuse him of violations,

01:04civilian executions and enforced disappearances.

01:08Reactions from the public are polarized between relief and outrage.

01:13For the first time in Colombia's history, we have a judge and a prosecutor who stood their

01:19ground.

01:20Because if you notice, years ago, the same prosecutor's office requested dismissal in the case of Alvaro

01:26Uribe.

01:27Unfortunately, it is not a failure in justice.

01:34It is a political failure.

01:36And that is why I'm here, because we cannot allow justice to become politicized.

01:44Uribe says he will appeal the decision.

01:49which means that there are people starting to go but in the case of Alvaro Mea, it is a

01:51pluming thing.

01:52For now, I'm not sure if they are going to go to a political situation for the

02:01vote.

02:02For now, I'm going to leave it to the vote for a night.

02:03This way that people also call me by Trump's intention.

02:05Joy, sir.

02:06I'm going to leave for four minutes.

02:07One.

02:08I'm going to leave it to the vote for a leer.

02:09I'm ready to leave it to one I'm gonna leave it to the vote.

02:10So I'm ready to leave it for a minute.

02:11Just a minute.

02:12I'm ready to have time for an issue for the vote.

02:13It will be a little bit of bad.

02:14I'm ready to leave it for a minute.

02:15I'm ready to go.

02:17I'm ready to leave it.

Category

Transcript

Be the first to comment

Recommended