Judge Juan Gustavo Varillas Solano remains on Lima's Seventh Civil Court, Commercial Subspecialty, despite facing eight criminal investigations opened by Peru's Public Prosecutor's Office, an editorial in the newspaper said. The investigations reportedly cover alleged prevarication, bribery, money laundering and influence trafficking.
The editorial said Varillas is named in leaked "Cuellos Blancos" audio recordings in which fugitive former judge César Hinostroza allegedly asked him to favor a lawyer friend in exchange for backing his career advancement.
According to the piece, Varillas has issued precautionary rulings blocking collection of surety letters on health infrastructure projects worth hundreds of millions of soles, backed by counter-guarantees the state's Attorney General's Office repeatedly called disproportionately small.
Suspension and Silence
He was suspended for six months in 2024 but returned to the same court, where the editorial said he continues issuing rulings with major economic impact, undermining the legal stability businesses need. The Judicial Branch's Control Authority and the National Board of Justice have stayed silent on his record, the editorial said, contrasting his case with judges suspended for singing at a private event and with Supreme Court justices facing disciplinary proceedings over applying international human rights treaties.
