Álvaro Uribe on Trial: The Case That Colombia’s Media Wants to Bury

A Historic Trial Cloaked in Silence

As Colombia navigates one of its most politically turbulent periods, the trial of Álvaro Uribe Vélez—one of the country’s most powerful and controversial figures—moves forward under a deafening media blackout. The former president, long deemed untouchable, faces serious accusations of ties to paramilitary groups and obstruction of justice.

Yet, Colombia’s mainstream media, controlled by the same oligarchy that has shielded Uribe for decades, barely whispers a word about this historic case.

It’s time to break the silence. Because history is not written by those who silence the truth but by those who expose it.

The Paramilitary Connection: A Blood-Soaked Legacy

For years, Senator Iván Cepeda, a relentless advocate for truth and justice, has exposed Uribe’s deep-rooted connections to Colombia’s paramilitary expansion in the 1990s. One of the most damning accusations comes from Juan Guillermo Monsalve, a former paramilitary leader, who testified that Uribe’s family ranch, Guacharacas, served as the birthplace of the Metro Bloc of the United Self-Defence Forces of Colombia (AUC)—a group responsible for massacres, forced displacements, and drug trafficking.

These allegations are not mere political attacks. They are backed by testimonies, official records, and years of investigation. But every time this reality surfaces, Colombia’s corporate media drowns it in a flood of misinformation, diversions, or outright silence.

Witness Tampering and Judicial Manipulation

Faced with mounting evidence, Uribe resorted to another strategy: manipulating the justice system to protect himself.

One of the most critical aspects of this case involves allegations that Uribe and his lawyer, Diego Cadena, bribed witnesses to change their statements and clear the former president’s name. Evidence presented before the courts shows that Cadena offered money and legal benefits to ex-paramilitaries in exchange for testimony that would exonerate Uribe.

In a dramatic turn of events, Colombia’s Supreme Court, instead of pursuing Iván Cepeda for defamation as Uribe had requested, launched an official investigation against Uribe himself in 2018—a seismic moment that shook the foundations of his long-standing impunity.

A Complicit Media Protecting Its Political Godfather

Why isn’t this monumental case front-page news? Because Colombia’s media landscape is owned by the very elites that owe their fortunes to Uribe’s reign.

Corporate media giants like Grupo Santo Domingo, RCN, El Tiempo, and Caracol conveniently downplay or ignore this trial while distracting the public with minor scandals. Their silence is not an accident—it’s a deliberate shield for the political establishment that has ruled Colombia with an iron grip.

If a former president is caught bribing witnesses and colluding with death squads, it should be an international scandal. Yet in Colombia, it’s treated as an afterthought.

Justice on Trial

This case is more than a legal battle; it’s a test of Colombia’s fragile democracy.

If Uribe is convicted, it would signal that even the most powerful figures can be held accountable. It could pave the way for further investigations into war crimes, massacres, and corruption linked to his administration.

But if Uribe walks free, it will send an unmistakable message: Colombian justice bends for the rich and powerful.

A Fight for Truth and Memory

This trial is not just about Álvaro Uribe. It’s about an entire system of corruption, violence, and impunity that has ruled Colombia for decades. It’s also about the thousands of victims of paramilitary terror who still wait for justice.

While corporate media diverts attention with shallow political squabbles, it is up to us to remember, to expose, and to demand accountability. Because without justice, peace is nothing more than an illusion.

Conclusion: The Moment of Truth

The trial of Álvaro Uribe could mark the beginning of the end of impunity in Colombia, or it could prove once again that the country’s justice system serves only the elite.

Either way, history will remember who stood up for the truth and who tried to bury it.

G.S.