 Cárdenas was a member of the Boards of Directors of the University of Los Andes.On 19 December 2006, President Álvaro Uribe Vélez appointed Cárdenas Ambassador of the Republic of Colombia to the State of Japan accredited as Non-Resident Ambassador to the Commonwealth of Australia, the Republic of Singapore, and New Zealand.Cárdenas presented her Letters of Credence to Emperor Akihito of Japan on 17 March 2007 at a ceremony at the Tokyo Imperial Palace, to Major General Michael Jeffery, Governor-General of Australia, on 31 May 2007 at Government House, Canberra, to Sellapan Ramanathan, President of Singapore, on 26 July 2007 at the Istana, and to Sir Anand Satyanand, Governor-General of New Zealand on 17 July 2007 at Government House, Wellington.