The former president respects and adheres to the decision of the Supreme Court but reaffirms his argument that Santiago Uribe is innocent
14ymedio/ EFE, Bogota, June 5, 2026 – The Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice confirmed this Thursday the sentence of 28 years and three months in prison against rancher Santiago Uribe, the brother of former Colombian president Álvaro Uribe (2002-2010). for creating and financing the paramilitary group The Twelve Apostles.
“Dr. Jaime Granados (the Uribe family’s attorney) informs me that the newspaper information tells him that the Supreme Court confirms the conviction against my brother Santiago, a devastating issue for my family,” expressed the former president in a message published on X.
The Court confirmed that Santiago Uribe committed the crimes of conspiracy and homicide, both aggravated, by participating in the formation of The Twelve Apostles, a paramilitary group that was born in the municipality of Yarumal, department of Antioquia (northwest), and was also involved in the 1994 murder of Camilo Barrientos.
The Full Chamber confirmed “the judgment delivered on November 25, 2025 by the Superior Court of Antioquia, whereby it convicted Santiago Uribe Vélez as a co-perpetrator criminally responsible for aggravated felony conspiracy and aggravated homicide, as a combination of crimes against humanity,” a decision against which “no appeal is possible.”
Uribe’s defense was led by attorney Jaime Granados, who is also the lawyer for the former president in his judicial cases. He said on several occasions that there were false witnesses and even media manipulation in the trial.
“Judicial decisions must be respected and complied with. However, through the legal mechanisms enshrined in the legal system, we will continue to defend the innocence of Santiago, because the 16 years of knowledge of this case allow us to warn that he is being unjustly condemned,” Granados stated.
Allí added that he and his team will study “the full content of the decision and the votes,” after which they will announce “more details.”
Former President Uribe, meanwhile, has been denounced for his alleged links with the paramilitaries in his years as governor of Antioquia
Former President Uribe, meanwhile, has been denounced for his alleged ties with the paramilitaries in his years as governor of Antioquia (1995-1997), including one that indirectly links him to the massacre at El Aro, in which 17 farmers were killed in October 1997.
Commenting on the events, Colombian president Gustavo Petro assured that Colombia must “free itself from the paramilitary governance left in the northern region of Antioquia” by the group of The Twelve Apostles.
“I want to turn that page and ensure the creation of a national agreement so that this era does not repeat itself. Differences between Colombians are not resolved by weeding out the other, but by building a safe and permanent path of coexistence. The methods of Santiago Uribe Vélez must not be repeated again in Colombia,” added Petro.
Translated by Regina Anavy
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