Colombia Supreme Court Leaves Diego Cadena Witness-Tampering Conviction in Place
publishers 123articles 273first reported 3 Oct, 09:00 UTCdeveloping since 3 Oct · 30 editions
Colombia’s Supreme Court has left in place the conviction of Diego Cadena, a former lawyer for ex-President Álvaro Uribe, for witness tampering in proceedings connected to allegations against the former president.
The court’s Criminal Cassation Chamber rejected an appeal by Cadena’s defense after finding that it did not satisfy the technical and legal requirements for consideration. The decision preserves a lower-court sentence of eight years and eight months of house arrest.
Prosecutors accused Cadena of trying in 2017 and 2018 to persuade witnesses to change or retract testimony implicating Uribe. A central episode involved Juan Guillermo Monsalve, a former paramilitary member whom Cadena visited in Bogotá’s La Picota prison in February 2018. Prosecutors said Cadena offered legal assistance and help pursuing a review of Monsalve’s legal status in exchange for retracting statements against Uribe and accusing Senator Iván Cepeda of manipulating him.
Recordings of Cadena’s conversations with Monsalve, made with a device concealed in a watch by Monsalve’s former partner, Deyanira Gómez, were admitted as evidence.
Uribe was convicted at trial in a related case in 2025 but acquitted on appeal several months later. The Supreme Court must still consider the decision overturning Uribe’s conviction. Cadena’s criminal liability is being assessed separately from that of the former president.
HOW THIS STORY WAS MADE
Written from 8 articles, 8 with the publisher's own text; 8 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one; this version written 684 h after the record first saw the story; the editor kept it as written.
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- Source articles
- 273
- Given to the writer
- 8, 8 with the article's own text
- Independent newsrooms
- 8
- This version written
- 684 h after the record first saw the story
- Second model (editor)
- kept as written
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- passed
- Human review
- none
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