Colombia - May 2024

Former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe has been charged with witness tampering and bribery. Judge Sandra Heredia ruled that Uribe will face a criminal trial, rejecting his lawyers' request to annul the case. This decision marks a historic moment as Uribe becomes the first Colombian ex-president to stand trial for criminal charges in over half a century. Prosecutors allege that Uribe offered bribes to witnesses to discredit opposition Senator Iván Cepeda, who had linked him to paramilitary groups. The indictment follows numerous unsuccessful attempts over the years to investigate the former president, which faced substantial resistance from the judiciary. Uribe, who still holds significant political influence in the country, claims that the case is politically motivated and lacks evidence. He faces up to 12 years in prison if convicted.

Sources: El Pais (1), El Pais (2), Aljazeera, El tiempo

The Colombian government and the National Liberation Army (ELN) have signed the first item on the Peace Talks agenda after a year and a half of negotiations. The agreement was signed on 25 May in Caracas, Venezuela, and is focused on the definition of the “Participation Model” that will be a crucial part of the peace process. It reflects the demands gathered by the National Participation Committee (CNP), established in June 2023. The CNP facilitated 78 meetings nationwide, involving over 8,500 representatives from 3,200 organizations. Meetings also took place in 19 prisons and with the diaspora in 14 countries across the Americas and Europe. This announcement marks the first tangible outcome of President Gustavo Petro's negotiations with the insurgency, under his “total peace” program. It also signifies the conclusion of the first point of the Mexico Accord, the roadmap for these negotiations. The agreement proposes principles for active, inclusive, deliberative, binding, effective, and autonomous societal participation, particularly from historically excluded groups. 

Sources: Caracol Radio (1), Caracol Radio (2), Infobae, Prensa Latina, El Pais, International IDEA