Telebachillerato of Palo Bola is embezzled of half a million pesos

Gilberto Santisteban Flores

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Teachers, administrators, and parents collectively pointed to Juliana “N” as the person responsible for having taken around 500,000 pesos, which were meant for improvements to school facilities for the students.

They explained that the program provides resources directly to a Comité Escolar de Administración Participativa (CEAP), which is made up of parents as well as workers from the beneficiary educational institution.

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There are various areas where the funds can be used: classroom repairs, electrical installations, or the purchase of new furniture such as desk-chairs. However, today that opportunity has been cut off for the Telebachillerato #17 community.

On November 4, they went to the Fiscalía General de la República (FGR) to open an investigation file for the crime of theft of funds from a federal program, which is now under investigation under the case number FED/BCS/CONS/0000872/2025.

They state that Juliana “N” served as the school’s treasurer through the committee established by LEEN. Although they trusted her, by October 14 they began noticing various irregularities in the handling of the funds.

“We were all, the parents and the teachers, the ones who noticed the serious inconsistencies in the accounts. Nothing added up,” they expressed regarding the case.

Educational authorities clarified that out of those 200,000 pesos, they only received 140,000 pesos, which were used for minor purchases such as computers or printers. When they needed a larger amount, the treasurer claimed she was on sick leave and unavailable.

Between August 1 and 11, up to 11 purchases and withdrawals were reported at the Ley store in Comondú, ranging from 500 to 6,950 pesos.

The irregularities continued. Between August 25 and October 7, around 40 purchases and withdrawals were recorded at Bodega Aurrera and Ley in Ciudad Constitución, for various amounts, until the account was left with a balance of 111 pesos.

This situation has unsettled the community, as they saw a real opportunity to improve the school environment. In contrast, they now find themselves involved in a criminal process seeking justice and restitution.

Only two theft cases recorded; both in Palo Bola

Following this complaint, the delegate of the Secretaría del Bienestar, Yanssen Weichselbaum, confirmed that Juliana “N” approached the authorities to commit to returning the funds taken from the program’s account.

“Right now, the treasurer has already come forward. We had to file the report because we always try first through dialogue and agreements. She has already approached us and committed to returning the funds,” she reiterated.

In this context, she explained that since 2019, LEEN has been implemented over 500 times in Baja California Sur. In all this time, only two complaints have been filed with the FGR for theft of resources—both in the community of Palo Bola.

The delegate indicated that there were already prior incidents, which is why they emphasized the need for special attention in the area.

She mentioned that the LEEN operating manual states that at the end of the program, an accountability process must be carried out, attended by the Secretaría del Bienestar and the committee of the beneficiary school community.

She assured that in 2025 alone they received 106 million pesos, which have been distributed across more than 269 schools in the state.

In all beneficiary schools, at the end of the program, an accountability exercise is conducted. If irregularities are detected beforehand, they intervene with the goal of reaching agreements and ensuring the correct use of the funds.

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For now, the delegate insists that LEEN has been successful despite these two cases of theft, as in almost all cases it has benefited schools with only minor issues that have not required judicial intervention.