US-Backed Colombian Dictator's Brother Jailed: Crickets From DC
Al Jazeera quietly broke the news: a Colombian court handed Santiago Uribe, brother of ex-President Álvaro Uribe, a 28-year sentence for homicide and criminal conspiracy. For decades, the US poured billions into Colombia's 'War on Drugs,' much of it directly supporting Álvaro Uribe's government, even as allegations of paramilitary ties and human rights abuses mounted. Álvaro Uribe himself has
faced multiple investigations, including for alleged links to drug trafficking and paramilitarism, investigations often stalled or dismissed under his political influence during a period of massive US aid. This conviction rips open the thinly veiled truth of who America backed—and continues to back—in its 'interventions.' While US presidents lauded Álvaro Uribe as a key ally, human rights
organizations consistently documented the very type of atrocities his brother is now guilty of. The silence from Washington on this verdict is deafening; it's easier to ignore the messy consequences of supporting convenient strongmen than confront the actual results: decades of violence and deeply entrenched criminality.