{
  "id": 10690383,
  "title": "Colombia Faces More Scandals Over Politicians’ Fake Academic Degrees",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/29/colombia-faces-more-scandals-over-politicians-fake-academic-degrees",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-29T12:39:06.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Colombia One",
    "slug": "colombia-one",
    "url": "https://colombiaone.com/2026/09/29/colombia-faces-more-scandals-over-politicians-fake-academic-degrees/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Colombia is currently grappling with a new scandal surrounding senior politicians and their alleged fake academic degrees. At the center of the controversy is Reynaldo José D’Silva Uribe, the deputy minister of Housing, who has been incorrectly listed as having a master's degree in State Law with an emphasis on Tax Law from Universidad Externado de Colombia. However, the university confirms that D’Silva has completed the necessary two years of the program but still needs to submit his thesis for approval. The Ministry of Housing acknowledged the mistake, attributing it to a \"typing error,\" and stated they will correct the information. This issue is particularly concerning as D’Silva holds a high-ranking position within the government. The scandal has brought to light broader questions about the verification processes for academic credentials in public administration. Previously, one of the most prominent cases involved Juliana Guerrero, who falsely presented degrees obtained from Fundación Universitaria San Jose. She was eventually held accountable for her actions and sentenced to prison. The Colombian government has also discovered that up to 24 officials from the Petro administration may have obtained degrees irregularly, including six who took the Saber Pro exam without passing and 18 who took the exam after receiving their diplomas.",
  "summary": "Colombia is facing a new scandal involving the academic credentials of senior public officials. This time, the case involves Reynaldo José D’Silva Uribe, deputy minister of Housing in the government of Abelardo De la Espriella, who is presented in institutional profiles as having a master’s degree in State Law with an emphasis on Tax Law […]",
  "key_points": [
    "Senior Colombian politician Reynaldo José D’Silva Uribe accused of having fake master's degree.",
    "University confirms D’Silva completed program but needs to submit thesis.",
    "Up to 24 Petro administration officials may have irregularly obtained degrees."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}