Colombia's Juliana Guerrero corruption scandal draws presidential and senatorial response

Juliana Guerrero corruption scandal Gustavo Petro Iván Cepeda contract influence

A Semana investigation alleges that former government adviser Juliana Guerrero and her sister Verónica ran a scheme to influence public contracts, charging businessmen a fee of one million pesos per meeting, an upfront payment of 200 million pesos and a 10 percent commission on contract values. The report cites chats, audio recordings, testimonies and bank transfers as evidence.

President Gustavo Petro responded on X, saying that if the sisters received money they must return it, cooperate with authorities and file complaints against the businessmen. Petro also defended his administration, asserting that no public resources were lost because the alleged contracts never materialised.

Senator Iván Cepeda called for zero tolerance of corruption, independent investigations and the creation of a National Anticorruption System that would operate beyond a single government’s term. He reiterated his campaign promise to combat corruption in all its forms.

Juliana Guerrero publicly denied all accusations, stating she never received money, commissions or met with contractors, and pledged to collaborate with the judicial process. The scandal follows earlier controversies over her academic credentials and has intensified political debate in Colombia.

Entities: Gustavo Petro · Iván Cepeda · Juliana Guerrero · Semana · Verónica Guerrero

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[● 5 SOURCES] President Gustavo Petro denied any influence of his administration over the alleged corruption scheme. (new)
[● 2 SOURCES] Senator Iván Cepeda called for zero tolerance of corruption and urged independent investigations of any wrongdoing. (existing)
[● 2 SOURCES] Iván Cepeda proposed establishing a National Anticorruption System that would operate beyond a single government's term. (existing)
[● 5 SOURCES] Petro said entrepreneurs were deceived and no public resources were lost because the contracts never materialised. (existing)
[DISPUTED] Juliana and Verónica Guerrero operated a scheme to manage public contracts for payment. (existing)
[● 5 SOURCES] The scheme allegedly targeted ministries including Interior, Housing, Environment, Equality and agencies such as the National Land Agency and the Colombia Peace Fund. (new)
[DISPUTED] President Gustavo Petro urged the Guerrero sisters to file a complaint against the businessmen and return any money received. (existing)
[● 7 SOURCES] The alleged scheme required an initial payment of about 1 million pesos per meeting, 200 million pesos for management, and a 10 % commission on contract value. (existing)
[● 3 SOURCES] Semana published the investigation, including chats, audio recordings, testimonies and bank records as evidence. (new)
[DISPUTED] Juliana Guerrero publicly denied receiving money, commissions or meeting contractors, and pledged to cooperate with justice. (new)