A criminal court judge in Bogotá has sentenced Juliana Andrea Guerrero Jiménez to 36 months, or three years, in prison after she accepted a plea deal with Colombia’s Attorney General’s Office. The case centers on charges of procedural fraud connected to fake academic diplomas she presented while seeking the post of vice minister of Youth in President Gustavo Petro’s government.
During the sentencing, the judge delivered a pointed rebuke, stressing that Guerrero’s actions could not be dismissed as an innocent slip-up. According to the ruling, presenting fraudulent credentials for a high-level government appointment amounted to a deliberate scheme rather than a simple oversight.
Beyond the prison sentence, the judge ordered copies of the case file be sent to prosecutors so they can open a separate investigation into Guerrero for the alleged crime of falsifying a public document — a distinct charge from the one covered by her plea agreement.
The case has drawn significant attention in Colombia, where questions have already been raised about how someone with fabricated academic credentials nearly secured a senior post overseeing national youth policy. Political figures have weighed in publicly, with some suggesting the episode reflects broader accountability gaps within the current administration.
To read the full story and learn more about the judge’s remarks, check out the original report at eltiempo.com.
Source: El fuerte regaño a Juliana Guerrero de juez que la condenó tras aceptar delito de fraude en diplomas falsos (eltiempo.com). English version produced with AI assistance.
Image: srqpix, BY 2.0 (via Openverse).