McGovern, 16 Members of Congress Tell Secretary Rubio: Support Rule of Law and Judicial Independence in Colombia

"Authentic rule of law demands that no person, no matter their status or position in government, be considered above the law. Your July 28 statement implies that you think that former President Álvaro Uribe should be," wrote Representatives McGovern and the other Members of Congress. "Inherent in [your] statement is contempt for the independence of the judiciary, sovereign governance, and the rule of law in Colombia. It ignores the fact that former President Uribe was accorded full due process in a system that the United States government has recognized for its integrity."

On July 28, 2025, a Colombian judge found Uribe guilty of witness tampering and procedural fraud, for which he was sentenced to 12 years of house arrest. The process included 69 public hearings over 475 days with a ruling of more than 1,000 pages that addressed the evidence and defense arguments in great detail. The case stretched over thirteen years, under three different Colombian presidents, and with prosecutors appointed by governments with diverse ideological positions.

Yet on July 28, Secretary of State Marco Rubio criticized the ruling on social media: "Former Colombian President Uribe's only crime has been to tirelessly fight and defend his homeland. The weaponization of Colombia's judicial branch by radical judges has now set a worrisome precedent."

"In the interest of strengthening the United States' reputation as a supporter of genuine rule of law in Colombia and around the world, and in order to send a signal to the people of Colombia that the United States stands with their quest for rule of law and accountability, we ask that you cease attacks on the independence of the Colombian judicial system and make clear that United States policy does not exempt anyone, even former Presidents, from the rule of law," conclude the Members of Congress in their letter.

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