President Gustavo Petro denied exerting any pressure in Alvaro Uribe’s trial and firmly defended the independence of Colombia’s judiciary. Credit: Ovidio Gonzalez / Presidency of Colombia.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro addressed last night’s sentencing in the trial against former President Alvaro Uribe, defending the independence of Colombia’s judiciary and denying that his government pressured the judge.
In a social media post, Petro criticized remarks by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who harshly condemned the sentencing minutes after it was announced, claiming it was the result of “weaponization of Colombia’s judicial branch by radical judges.”
Calling on the nation to respect judicial decisions, the Colombian president emphasized the concept of justice over “savagery,” recalling the country’s history of political violence.
Petro denies pressure in Uribe trial, affirms judicial independence
After nearly ten hours of reading the verdict, Bogota Judge Sandra Heredia announced yesterday, Monday, July 28, her decision to convict former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe of bribery and procedural fraud.
Although the full 1,000-page verdict and sentence will not be released until this coming Friday, the announcement of the ruling’s outcome prompted numerous reactions both within and outside Colombia.
Among the most anticipated was that of current President Gustavo Petro, who maintained a low profile during both the investigation and trial phases of Uribe’s case.
Early in the evening, Petro addressed the verdict via social media, specifically responding to statements made shortly before by the U.S. Secretary of State on his official account.
Rubio criticized the ruling, calling Uribe’s trial a product of the political instrumentalization of justice “by radical judges,” and asserting that the sentence set a “worrisome precedent.”
Petro stated that “the judge acted freely” and maintained that “any contrary statements from foreign authorities are nothing but an outrage, which we do not permit,” referencing Marco Rubio’s comments.
In his message, he emphasized that “this government does not prosecute anyone for political, sexual, gender, or religious reasons. It does not pressure the judiciary, which is entirely independent from the government.”
La labor de una parte de la prensa ha sido terrible en estos días.
Presionar a la juez para obtener un resultado político, y no jurídico, casi hasta amenazar a la juez como hacen las mafias.
Hay una falta de vocación profunda de los códigos mínimos de la democracia en estos… https://t.co/SRzdpA1bEE
— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) July 29, 2025
Call to respect judicial decisions in Colombia
In his message, Gustavo Petro called for respecting judicial decisions in Colombia. In fact, the president had previously stated days earlier that his government would respect the judge’s decision, whatever it might be.
“It is the existence of a strong justice system that enables us to move beyond violence. Therefore, allow that justice to act—do not silence it, do not threaten it—because doing so plunges society into violence,” he wrote.
Additionally, the president urged both supporters and critics of former President Uribe to “respect” this justice system. “Anything else is savagery. And Colombia must be wise,” he emphasized.
Finally, Petro issued harsh criticism of some sectors of the country’s press for “pressuring the female judge to achieve a political outcome rather than a legal one, almost to the point of threatening the judge, as the mafias do.”
Judges request protection for Judge Heredia, in charge of the Uribe case
Judges from the Colombian judiciary issued a statement yesterday requesting extraordinary protection measures from the government for Sandra Heredia, the magistrate in charge of the trial against Alvaro Uribe.
“We stand with and support our fellow judge, the 44th Criminal Court magistrate (…) in the decision made today in the proceedings against Alvaro Uribe,” said Katherine Nino, head of Bogota’s 45th Criminal Court and a colleague of Heredia.
In the same vein, representing the magistrates, Carlos Chaparro, judge of Bogota’s 46th Criminal Court, added: “We call on the National Protection Unit (UNP) and the Superior Council of the Judiciary to double her security.”
Chaparro also noted that “the rulings issued by judges carry a double presumption of legality and correctness, are respectful of due process, the right to defense, and other constitutional and legal guarantees; and are the result of careful assessment and analysis of the evidence in accordance with the principles of sound judgment.”
Related: What’s Next for Alvaro Uribe After His Historic Trial Conviction?
On Monday, July 28, Judge Sandra Heredia read the sentence condemning former President Uribe for the crimes of bribery and procedural fraud for nearly 10 hours.Credit: Rama Judicial Capture.