BOGOTÁ, Colombia—A judge rescinded a house-arrest order on Saturday against powerful former President Álvaro Uribe, who is being investigated for witness tampering in a case that has divided Colombia. Bogotá Judge Clara Ximena Salcedo accepted a petition by Mr. Uribe’s lawyers that the home arrest ordered by the Supreme Court in August should be lifted because the former president hasn’t been charged with any crime. Mr. Uribe is still under investigation. “Without charges, there can be no measure (of house arrest) and so this implies the need to restore the fundamental rights of Dr. Álvaro Uribe Vélez,” Judge Salcedo said in a virtual hearing. Mr. Uribe, a 68-year-old conservative and mentor to President Iván Duque, posted a brief message on his Twitter account after the ruling: “Thank God.”

Source: Wall Street Journal October 10, 2020 19:30 UTC