Facing charges at home, ex-Colombian president visits Florida GOP leaders

TALLAHASSEE — Former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe met with House Speaker Paul Renner and other Republican lawmakers in Tallahassee on Wednesday to discuss the importance of advancing democratic principles and maintaining a relationship between the United States and Colombia.

Uribe received a warm welcome in Florida’s state Capitol building from dozens of guests, even as he faces charges in Colombia that he tried to influence witnesses who could tie him to paramilitary groups. The former president has maintained his innocence and his supporters allege he is being persecuted.

The legal case only became a point of discussion at the end of the two-hour event when a reporter asked about it. An aide to Renner tried to block the question, but Uribe did not shy away from the topic, saying that in democracies there should be no topic that is off limits.

Uribe then told the reporter to see a response he posted on X last month in which he denied the claims made against him.

The focus of Uribe’s visit was mostly geared toward the topic of democracy, and what the United States and Colombia can do to ensure the success of both countries through combating drug trafficking and corruption.

“I believe we have the opportunity to make things right. It is all up to us,” he said, noting that politicians have a responsibility to make sure citizens regain confidence in government.

When introducing Uribe at the event, Renner said that the former president represents the “very best of leadership in the Americas” and praised him for having the courage to serve in public office despite facing threats to his and his family’s safety.

Renner’s wife, Adriana, who is from Colombia, said it meant “everything” to host Uribe in Florida. At one point, she became emotional about what his leadership had meant to her, and told him: “You will always be my president.”

Gustavo Adolfo Velez, the former mayor of the city of Tuluá in Colombia, also attended the event.

State Rep. David Borrero, R-Sweetwater, and incoming House Speaker Daniel Perez, R-Miami, both welcomed the Colombian officials. State Rep. Fabian Basabe, R-Miami Beach, was in the crowd listening to the discussion. And Fabio Andrade, a Miami activist who has pushed to pay tribute to Uribe in Miami-Dade County, said it was important to ensure Colombian Americans are more involved in elections.