Alberto Uribe Sierra (November 25, 1932 â June 14, 1983) was a Colombian rancher, and businessman. He was the father of ÃÂlvaro Uribe (President of Colombia in 2002âÂÂ2010), Jaime Alberto, and Santiago Uribe Vélez.
He was assasinated in 1983 in his hacienda La Guacharaca. His family attributes the murder to the fact that he had previously resisted a kidnapping attempt by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC-EP), which has not been recognized by ex-members of FARC-EP. Some authors and press articles have pointed out that there was closeness between Alberto Uribe and several people linked to drug trafficking.
He was born in Andes, Antioquia, the 25th of November of 1932. He was the son of Luis Uribe González and Celia Sierra Velásquez and was married to Laura Vélez Uribe. Alberto, along with the MejÃÂa Correa de Corbeta family, was one of the owners of the Hacienda La Carolina, in Santa Rosa de Osos (Antioquia), a bullfighting ranch.
Alberto had 6 children from two relationships. He had 5 children with his wife, Laura Vélez Uribe. He only had his youngest son, Camilo Uribe Uribe, with Marta Elena Uribe Soto despite never marrying her. His eldest son, ÃÂlvaro Uribe, was the director of Aerocivil, Mayor of MedellÃÂn, senator, governor of Antioquia and president of Colombia. He was a first cousin of politician and former senator Mario Uribe Escobar.
Through family and friendship connections, Alberto Uribe is associated with Colombian drug traffickers, especially with the MedellÃÂn Cartel. However, there are no family ties linking Uribe Sierra to Pablo Escobar. There are no known judicial proceedings that have been initiated against Alberto Uribe for acts related to drug trafficking.
In 1984, a year after his death, Alberto Uribe Sierra's helicopter was found in the largest cocaine laboratory in the eastern Llanos, known as Tranquilandia, owned by the MedellÃÂn Cartel. The helicopter that his son, ÃÂlvaro Uribe, used to get to the farm to pick up his father's body was also said to be owned by Pablo Escobar, according to a newspaper with the events. However, the Colombian Civil Aeronautics certified that the helicopter did not belong to Escobar.
His mother, Celia Sierra, has no family ties to Juan Carlos Sierra, alias El Tuso, a drug trafficker and paramilitary extradited to the United States.
His wife, Laura Vélez Uribe, was the niece of Roberto Vélez, who was married to the sister of cattle rancher Fabio Ochoa and father of the drug traffickers of the Ochoa Vásquez Clan. Consequently, Laura was related by affinity in the sixth degree with the Ochoa Vásquez (Colombian legislation only contemplates the relationship of consanguinity or affinity up to the fourth degree).
Their son Jaime Alberto Uribe (died 2001) had a daughter in 1980 with Dolly Cifuentes - Ana MarÃÂa Uribe Cifuentes - when Dolly was just 16 years old. Dolly is the sister of Francisco "Pacho" Cifuentes, who was accused of having been Pablo Escobar's pilot. Dolly was captured for drug trafficking and association with Chapo Guzmán in 2011. In 2012 she was extradited to the United States and sentenced to 5 years in prison after pleading guilty before a federal judge. Although it has been claimed that Ana MarÃÂa Uribe Cifuentes was also captured, there is no record of that capture, or of a place of detention, as she was not requested for extradition, and there is no known trial or conviction against her. It is not currently listed on the OFAC list.
On June 14th of 1983, Alberto was murdered in his hacienda La Guacharaca, located in San Roque, Antioquia, at 50 years of age.
Alberto was aboard a helicopter with his children Santiago and MarÃÂa Isabel. Following the helicopters landing, the pilot warned the Uribes that intruders had entered the hacienda. It was then that he realized that it was FARC-EP, who had previously threatened to kidnap Uribe Sierra.
After exchanging gunfire (as reportedly Alberto confronted them with gunfire) three guerrilla members shot him twice, killing him.
Authors such as Wilson Orozco accuse his son ÃÂlvaro Uribe of having sponsored paramilitary groups in revenge for the murder of his father. The FARC-EP does not recognize the murder of Alberto Uribe, denying responsibility for the murder.