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Former President Alvaro Uribe at a press conference after his hearing before the Supreme Court in Bogota on October 8, 2019. REUTERS / Luisa Gonzalez

The man who led his country with an iron fist from 2002 to 2008 is the first former head of state to be indicted in the country's history. He is accused of using forgery and tampering with witnesses.

With our correspondent in Bogota, Marie-Eve Detoeuf

The interrogation lasted seven hours. In the street, at the foot of the courthouse, supporters and detractors of Alvaro Uribe fought all day with slogans and insults. " Uribe, Colombia is with you, " shouted the Uribists who consider that their leader is innocent, victim of a politicized justice, infiltrated by the Communists. Anti-Uribists and human rights defenders look forward to seeing the former president finally brought to justice.

Senator since 2014, Alvaro Uribe remains the undisputed leader of the hard right and the mentor of the current head of state Ivan Duque . It is the first ex-head of state indicted in the history of Colombia.

Witness tampering

Dozens of investigations have been opened against him throughout his political career. They wait in drawers. Today the former president is formally accused of attempting to return the compromising testimony of two former paramilitaries who are in prison.

At the end of this historical interrogation, the President of the Supreme Court recalled that the pressure of the demonstrations will not weigh on the decision of the magistrates. They have ten days to decide whether to send Alvaro Uribe to pre-trial detention pending his trial, which could take several months.