Antioquia Superior Court sentenced Álvaro Uribe's brother to 28 years in prison for paramilitarism

Published at: 25/11/2025 11:06 PM

This Tuesday, November 25, the Superior Court of Antioquia, Colombia, revoked the initial acquittal and in a second instance ruling sentenced Santiago Uribe Vélez to 340 months in prison, equivalent to 28 years, for his participation in the paramilitary group “The 12 Apostles”.

The ruling declares the brother of former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe Vélez (who has also faced complaints about links with paramilitary groups) criminally responsible for aggravated homicide, conspiracy to commit an aggravated crime and crimes against humanity, he reported on his website Telesur.

The Court's decision annuls the judgment issued on November 13, 2024 by the First Criminal Judge of the Specialized Circuit of Antioquia, who had acquitted Uribe Vélez after a judicial proceeding that lasted 27 years.

In the new 307-page ruling, the magistrates not only imposed the prison sentence, but also ordered the payment of a fine of 6,500 current monthly statutory minimum salaries, more than 10.5 billion Colombian pesos (about 2.7 million dollars). Despite the conviction, the arrest warrant against Uribe Vélez is not immediate.

The Court ordered the denial of the suspension of the execution of the sentence and of house arrest, but made the issuance of the arrest warrant conditional on the execution of the sentence being enforceable. This will happen once the Supreme Court of Justice rules on a possible extraordinary appeal in cassation.

Attorney Jaime Granados, who defends Santiago Uribe Vélez (and also represents former president Álvaro Uribe in his judicial proceedings), maintained throughout the case that there were a series of irregularities, including the presentation of false witnesses and an alleged media manipulation of the process.

The illegal armed group known as “The 12 Apostles” carried out its criminal activities in the early 1990s in the municipality of Yarumal, Antioquia. This structure proclaimed itself as a “social cleansing” guild and was responsible for a series of selective and bloodthirsty murders against the civilian population.

Its main targets included marginalized individuals such as street people, drug users, thieves, and anyone perceived or identified as collaborating with guerrilla groups, spreading terror in the region.

Judicial investigations indicated that the center of the group's illegal operations was concentrated on the La Carolina estate, owned by Santiago Uribe Vélez. It was determined that criminal actions were coordinated there and members were trained.

The current conviction against Uribe Vélez is based precisely on his role as a determinant in the formation of this paramilitary structure and, in particular, on his responsibility for the murder of Camilo Barrientos, one of the victims of this group.

Former President Álvaro Uribe Vélez immediately reacted to his brother's conviction through his account on the social network X, stating: “I feel deep pain because of the conviction against my brother. God help us.”