Colombia: Massive march in support of ex-president Álvaro Uribe after his sentencing
"No more instigation of hatred and violence against the opposition," said Tomás Uribe, son of the former president.
March in Medellín in favor of Álvaro Uribe.
Thousands of Colombians took to the streets across the country Thursday to support former president Alvaro Uribe after the 12-year sentence of house arrest against him for alleged bribery and procedural fraud. The former president remains detained at his home while he appeals the sentence.
Despite the rain, the father of the modern Colombian right-wing managed to mobilize hundreds of people in Bogota during the marches called by his opposition party, Centro Democratico.
With umbrellas, raincoats, Colombian flags, whistles, drums and festive music, his supporters chanted "Uribe, my friend, the people are with you" as they advanced toward the central Plaza de Bolivar.
In Medellin, the country's second city and the birthplace of the former president, a sea of people took to the streets in his defense.
"No more instigation of hatred and violence against the opposition," Tomas Uribe, the former president's son, shouted from a stage.
The popular right-wing leader, 73, maintains that the conviction is due to political motivations of the left, currently in power.
Anatomy of a process
But in 2018, in an unexpected twist, the Supreme Court began investigating Uribe for allegedly tampering with witnesses to discredit Cepeda.
The case is now in the hands of the Criminal Chamber of the Bogota Superior Court, which must first resolve the guardianship and then review the appeal to the sentence, which must be forwarded no later than August 13. Judge Ramiro Riaño declared himself impeded from ruling on the guardianship, so it will be necessary to complete the conformation of the court before continuing with the process.
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