In a second-instance ruling, the Superior Court of Antioquia in Colombia issued on Tuesday a guilty verdict of 340 months in prison — equivalent to 28 years and 3 months — against Santiago Uribe Velez, brother of former President Alvaro Uribe Vélez, for the crimes of aggravated homicide, the formation of paramilitary groups, criminal conspiracy, and the commission of crimes against humanity.
The decision has an enormous impact on Colombian political life, given the decades-long allegations of the Uribe brothers’ alleged connections to paramilitarism. In this regard, today’s ruling overturns the acquittal he had received in November 2024 on the same charges.
It is worth remembering that former President Uribe is awaiting the review of his sentence by the Supreme Court of Justice, after being convicted in the first instance and acquitted in the second for crimes of witness bribery, in which there were also alleged links to paramilitarism.
Colombia convicts former President Uribe’s brother of aggravated murder and paramilitarism
The magistrates of the court determined, in a ruling of more than 300 pages, that Santiago Uribe must be held criminally responsible for his participation in the formation of the paramilitary group known as “Los 12 Apostoles,” a network that operated in northern Antioquia in the 1990s.
He was found guilty of aggravated homicide, in particular for the death of Camilo Barrientos, and of aggravated criminal conspiracy, in concurrence with crimes against humanity. In the trial, the court concluded that there was sufficient evidence not only linking Uribe to this criminal structure, but also allowing the attribution of a “leadership role” to him within the organization.
“To overturn the acquittal issued on Nov. 13, 2024, by the First Specialized Criminal Circuit Judge of Antioquia in favor of Santiago Uribe Velez for the crimes of aggravated homicide and aggravated criminal conspiracy … to declare Santiago Uribe Velez criminally responsible for a concurrence of crimes against humanity, one count of aggravated homicide, articles 103 and 104, numeral 7 of the Criminal Code, and one count of aggravated criminal conspiracy, article 340, third paragraph of the Criminal Code, in accordance with the grounds set forth in this decision,” the ruling states.
In addition to the prison sentence, the ruling imposes on Uribe a fine of 9.25 billion pesos (approximately US$2.4 million) and bars him from holding public office for 20 years. Although house arrest was denied, the decision orders the issuance of an arrest warrant once the conviction becomes final after the possible review of the cassation appeal by the Supreme Court.
“To deny the suspension of the execution of the sentence and house arrest. Once this decision is final, an arrest warrant will be issued for the enforcement of the ruling,” the court stated.
The conviction of Santiago Uribe, a political and social earthquake in Colombia
The conviction has not gone unnoticed in the public sphere. Alvaro Uribe, through his account on the social network X, expressed his sorrow: “I feel deep pain over my brother’s conviction. May God help us.”
The defense, for its part, has already announced that it will appeal to the Criminal Cassation Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice, arguing that the ruling is unjust. This legal move leaves the door open to a new judicial battle in a case that has polarized public opinion in Colombia.
Siento profundo dolor por la condena contra mi hermano. Dios nos ayude
— Álvaro Uribe Vélez (@AlvaroUribeVel) November 25, 2025
For victims and human rights organizations, the ruling represents an important step toward accountability. The conviction has been seen as a sign that even figures connected to political power are not exempt from responsibility for heinous crimes.
Moreover, the decision reinforces the idea that past abuses — such as the formation of paramilitary groups and their lethal consequences — can still be tried and punished, even decades later. For many, this verdict rekindles the memory of the victims of “Los 12 Apostoles” and reaffirms the role of the judicial system as a guarantor of justice in a country that has grappled with political violence for generations.
Why is Santiago Uribe being investigated?
The criminal case against Santiago Uribe revolved around his alleged involvement as one of the founders of the paramilitary group known as Los 12 Apostoles, which is blamed for numerous killings in the department of Antioquia.
The investigation linked him particularly to the murder of Camilo Barrientos Duran, a bus driver, which occurred in 1994. His defense, led by attorney Jaime Granados — the same lawyer who represents his brother, former president Alvaro Uribe, in the case involving alleged witness bribery — has reiterated that the accusations lack solid grounding and has sought to dismantle the evidence connecting him to that illegal armed structure.
According to the findings of the court, the criminal organization allegedly led by Uribe had two trusted men in charge of carrying out violent actions: Hernan Dario Zapata, alias “Pelo de chonta,” responsible for operations in the urban area, and another individual identified as “Rodrigo,” who operated in the rural sector.
Among the acts attributed to that group, the ruling highlighted the murder of Camilo Barrientos Duran in February 1994. Barrientos, who drove a chiva bus that provided service between Campamento and Yarumal, was killed by two hitmen while driving, after having been labeled by the organization as an alleged “guerrilla collaborator.”
The brother of former President Uribe has been under investigation for more than 25 years, but the case was shelved on several occasions due to lack of evidence and because the credibility of several witnesses was questioned. The Uribes argued that it was political persecution. However, in 2010, everything changed thanks to the testimony of police officer Juan Carlos Meneses, who directly pointed to Santiago Uribe, and the trial took a new turn that continues to this day.
Although the court has already issued its sentence, Uribe’s case is not closed. If the Supreme Court accepts the cassation appeal, certain aspects of the ruling could be reviewed. In the meantime, an arrest warrant has been requested so that the convicted man may begin serving his sentence, should the entire process be finalized.