Key Facts

• A Colombian court overturned fraud and bribery convictions against former President Alvaro Uribe.
• Uribe had been sentenced to 12 years of house arrest.
• The case involved claims that Uribe ordered bribes to jailed paramilitaries to discredit accusations against him.
• The court found the testimony of a former paramilitary commander unreliable.
• Some wiretaps used in the investigation were obtained illegally.
• President Gustavo Petro criticized the ruling, suggesting it hides ties between politicians and drug trafficking.
• Paramilitary groups in Colombia originated in the 1980s to combat guerrilla groups but became involved in the cocaine trade.
• Both paramilitary and guerilla groups have been responsible for violence in Colombia.