I feel profound pain at the conviction of my brother. May God help us.
En Colombia, la justicia alcanzó al hermano de un expresidente cuando un tribunal de apelaciones revirtió una absolución previa y condenó a Santiago Uribe Vélez a más de 28 años de prisión por fundar y financiar el grupo paramilitar Los Doce Apóstoles. El fallo, emitido por el Tribunal Superior de Antioquia, lo declaró responsable de crímenes de lesa humanidad, homicidio agravado y concierto para delinquir, incluyendo su participación en un asesinato cometido en 1994. La sentencia reaviva la pregunta que Colombia lleva décadas formulándose: ¿puede la ley alcanzar a quienes ejercieron el poder desde las sombras, incluso cuando sus apellidos resuenan en los pasillos del Estado?
- Un tribunal colombiano revirtió una absolución anterior, imponiendo a Santiago Uribe una condena de 340 meses que su defensa no anticipaba y que sacude el entorno del expresidente Álvaro Uribe.
- La existencia misma de Los Doce Apóstoles —una milicia paramilitar vinculada a ejecuciones extrajudiciales en Yarumal, Antioquia— recuerda el costo humano de décadas de violencia sistemática contra civiles.
- La defensa alega testimonios falsos y manipulación mediática, pero el tribunal rechazó tanto los argumentos como la solicitud de arresto domiciliario, señalando que se emitirá una orden de captura una vez quede en firme el fallo.
- El expresidente Álvaro Uribe expresó su dolor en redes sociales con apenas unas palabras, sin referirse al fondo de los cargos, en un silencio que habla tanto como cualquier declaración.
- La condena marca un hito en la rendición de cuentas por el paramilitarismo colombiano: una señal de que los vínculos políticos ya no garantizan impunidad, aunque la orden de arresto aún no se ha ejecutado.
El martes, el Tribunal Superior de Antioquia revirtió la absolución de Santiago Uribe Vélez y lo condenó a 28 años y tres meses de prisión. El fallo, impulsado por recursos de la fiscalía, el ministerio público y las víctimas, lo declaró culpable de crímenes de lesa humanidad, homicidio agravado y concierto para delinquir. La pena incluye una multa equivalente a unos 10.500 millones de pesos colombianos —cerca de 2,7 millones de dólares— y una inhabilitación de 20 años para ejercer cargos públicos.
Los cargos giran en torno a su papel como fundador y financiador de Los Doce Apóstoles, un grupo paramilitar surgido en Yarumal, municipio del departamento de Antioquia. El tribunal lo vinculó directamente al asesinato de Camilo Barrientos, ocurrido en esa misma localidad en 1994. Santiago Uribe es hermano del expresidente Álvaro Uribe, quien gobernó Colombia entre 2002 y 2010, y se desempeñaba como ganadero en la región.
Su abogado defensor, Jaime Granados —quien también representa al exmandatario en sus propios procesos judiciales—, había argumentado que el caso se sustentaba en testimonios falsos y estaba contaminado por la presión mediática. El tribunal no acogió estos planteamientos y también negó la solicitud de arresto domiciliario. Una orden de captura será emitida una vez que la sentencia quede en firme.
El expresidente Álvaro Uribe reaccionó con una breve publicación en redes sociales: "Siento un profundo dolor por la condena de mi hermano. Que Dios nos ayude." La escueta declaración no abordó los cargos ni ofreció mayor contexto. El fallo resuena más allá de la familia Uribe: en un país que aún procesa las heridas del paramilitarismo, la condena sugiere que la justicia puede alcanzar incluso a quienes estuvieron cerca del poder.
A Colombian appellate court overturned an earlier acquittal on Tuesday, finding Santiago Uribe guilty of founding and financing a paramilitary militia and sentencing him to 28 years and three months in prison. The Antioquia Superior Tribunal, ruling on appeals filed by prosecutors, the public ministry, and civil parties to the case, determined that Uribe bore criminal responsibility for crimes against humanity, aggravated homicide, and criminal conspiracy. The sentence amounts to 340 months behind bars, alongside a financial penalty of 6.5 billion Colombian minimum monthly wages—roughly 10.5 billion pesos, or approximately 2.7 million dollars. Uribe, a cattle rancher and brother of former president Álvaro Uribe, who governed Colombia from 2002 to 2010, was also barred from holding public office for the next two decades. The court denied his request for house arrest and indicated that an arrest warrant would be issued once the ruling becomes final.
The charges centered on Uribe's role in creating and bankrolling a group called Los Doce Apóstoles—The Twelve Apostles—a paramilitary organization that emerged in Yarumal, a municipality in Antioquia department in northwestern Colombia. The tribunal found him implicated in the 1994 murder of Camilo Barrientos, a killing that occurred in that same town. Paramilitary groups in Colombia have long been associated with extrajudicial killings, disappearances, and systematic violence against civilians, particularly during the country's decades of internal conflict.
The reversal of Uribe's acquittal represents a significant legal development. His defense team, led by attorney Jaime Granados—who also represents the former president in his own legal proceedings—had contested the conviction on multiple grounds, alleging that the case relied on false testimony and was tainted by media manipulation. Granados did not immediately comment on the appellate decision.
Former president Uribe responded to the ruling with a brief statement posted to social media. "I feel profound pain at the conviction of my brother," he wrote. "May God help us." The message offered no further elaboration or acknowledgment of the charges themselves. The conviction touches a sensitive nerve for the former leader, whose own presidency has faced scrutiny over alleged connections to paramilitary violence, though he has consistently denied wrongdoing.
The case reflects Colombia's ongoing reckoning with paramilitarism, a phenomenon that flourished during the country's conflict with leftist guerrillas and drug trafficking organizations. While some paramilitary leaders have been prosecuted in recent years, convictions remain relatively uncommon, particularly when they involve figures with political connections. The tribunal's decision to overturn the acquittal and impose a substantial sentence signals a willingness to pursue accountability, even in cases where powerful families are implicated. Once the sentence becomes final and the arrest warrant is issued, Santiago Uribe will be expected to surrender to authorities to begin serving his term.
Notable Quotes
I feel profound pain at the conviction of my brother. May God help us.— Former president Álvaro Uribe, in a statement on social media
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why did the court reverse the earlier acquittal? What changed?
The appellate tribunal reviewed the evidence and legal arguments presented by prosecutors and civil parties on appeal. They found the original acquittal was wrong—that the evidence actually did support conviction on crimes against humanity and the other charges.
What exactly is Los Doce Apóstoles, and why does it matter that Uribe founded it?
It was a paramilitary militia operating in Antioquia. Paramilitaries in Colombia have been responsible for thousands of killings and disappearances. Founding and financing one means you're directly responsible for the violence it committed.
The former president posted something on social media. Did he defend his brother or acknowledge the charges?
He expressed pain about the conviction but said nothing about the substance of the case—no defense of his brother's innocence, no engagement with the evidence. It was a brief, personal statement.
Is this conviction unusual in Colombia?
Yes. Paramilitary convictions involving politically connected figures are rare. This suggests the court was willing to pursue accountability despite the family's prominence.
What happens next?
Once the sentence is final, an arrest warrant will be issued. Uribe will be expected to turn himself in to serve 340 months in prison. His legal team will likely appeal to Colombia's highest court.