Verónica Alcocer
Verónica del Socorro Alcocer García (born May 26, 1976) is a Colombian philanthropist and the current First Lady of Colombia since 2022, as the third wife of President Gustavo Petro. She studied law but never completed the decision he made in order to give more visibility to his home. Alcocer has become a voice for the most vulnerable communities. Alcocer is the first wife of a president to have a leading role in the government on par with her husband. Born in Sincelejo, Sucre, where she grew up and later would have a son from a first relationship named Nicolas, she would later marry Gustavo Petro in 2000, becoming the stepmother of Andres, Nicolas, and Andrea, two children from the first and second marriages of Gustavo Petro. Alcocer and her husband also have two daughters together, Sofía and Antonella, about whom there is little information. She has been an ambassador, clinging to culture and what the folklore of Colombian culture represents. Early life
Verónica del Socorro Alcocer García was born on May 26, 1976, in Sincelejo, Sucre. She is the eldest of three siblings; she was born into a conservative family in Sincelejo, and her father was a great admirer of various leaders of the conservative party. During her childhood in Alcocer she wanted to be a nun, although she would later start studying law, which she never finished with the arrival of her eldest son, Nicolás

Despite being the wife of a left-wing president with radical ideologies, Alcocer has expressed on multiple occasions her devotion to the Catholic faith, and her defense of children's rights, showing herself as pro-life, without expressing her repudiation of any kind the abortion. Subsequent activities
Alcocer accompanied Petro during his presidential candidacies, and it is said that she was a close adviser to him when he served as mayor of Bogotá. In addition to her political activity, she has dedicated her time to social activism, undertaken aid programs for children, adolescents and the elderly and stated that she seeks to create a positive image of Colombia. She has emphasized the importance of the role that she will play as first lady, which is to provide unconditional support for her husband, Gustavo Petro. Alcocer declares herself an ambassador of Colombian fashion and design. Role in 2022 presidential campaign

Alcocer had an individual role in the presidential campaign of her husband, Gustavo Petro, she always made it clear that her commitment as a spokesperson for the most disadvantaged was outside her. In June 2022, a series of secretly recorded videos of private meetings of Petro's presidential campaign were leaked, in one of which Alcocer was heard saying that all female journalists slept their way to the top. Alcocer later apologized, saying that the recordings were "taken out of context" and did not represent her ideas. First Lady of Colombia (2022-present)

After the victory of her husband on the Presidential election on 19 June 2022, Alcocer officially became the 20th woman to hold the distinction of First Lady of the Nation, as wife and companion of the Colombian head of state, Alcocer has assumed this distinction in a responsible way, she is sure that more than a commitment it is an entire obligation that she feels proud to exercise

After her husband's victory, she declared;
"There is an office and there is a fee. There are many things to do, whether or not it is official. The agenda is set by me, but above all it is set by the needs of the people. From the perspective of an ordinary citizen, I have seen that extremely distant role. I think you have to be in contact with people to listen to them and channel what they clearly need". Within a week of assuming her role, Alcocer drew criticism from both her husband's supporters and detractors for adopting a white savior attitude towards the Afro-Colombian community. Domestic initiatives and activities
Verónica Alcocer has been active in emergency response to the constant rainfall, in the early morning of last Tuesday, November 8, she landed in Cartagena and led a Unified Command Post in which also participated Mayor William Dau the governor of Bolívar, Vicente Blel, the Minister of Labor, Gloria Inés Ramírez, the governor of Atlántico, Elsa Noguera, the director of the Department of Social Prosperity, Cielo Rusinque the Minister of the Interior, Alfonso Prada and the director of the Risk Management Unit, Javier Pava. On 24 May 2023 Alcocer traveled to La Guajira, the main destination being the indigenous communities Uribia and Manaure, where he was in charge of observing and listening to the main complaints of the inhabitants of these remote areas of the country, as well as promising to be a voice from the people to the government. Foreign trips and activities
On 19 September 2022, Alcocer and the Minister of Foreign Affairs  attended Queen Elizabeth's funeral held at Westminster Abbey, which was attended by around 500 foreign dignitaries. On 19 September 2022 Veronica traveled to Japan in the company of the Minister of Foreign Affairs to attend the state funeral of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on September 27, which was attended by representatives from at least 217 countries. Subsequently, on 29 September 2022, Alcocer had the opportunity to meet with Yuko Kishida, wife of the Japanese Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, with whom he would have an exchange, the main topics being culture and gender equality, as well as cooperation between both countries for means of friendly development between the two countries. On 14 January 2023, Alcocer traveled to Vatican City on behalf of her husband, to hold a 30-minute audience in the Library of the Apostolic Palace with Pope Francis. Among the points discussed in the audience, both discussed domestic, the abuse of women and children in Colombia. The event ended with a cordial invitation from Alcocer to Francisco. Who asked Alcocer to have him in her prayers. As well as for the peace of Colombia. On 31 January 2023, Alcocer traveled to Caracas, Venezuela, where he held a meeting with Nicolás Maduro's wife, Cilia Flores. The main topic of the meeting was the reinforcement of bilateral relations between Colombia and Venezuela. Later, he would have a private meeting. with the President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro. On 3 May 2023, while Petro made a state visit to Spain, as part of President Gustavo Petro's agenda, in which they discussed the central axes of Petro administration, such as global warming, education and total peace. On 6 May 2023, Alcocer and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Álvaro Leyva, were representatives of the Colombian government at the Coronation of Charles III and Camilla. Approval ratings, popularity and controversy
Like her husband Alcocer, she has been the target of criticism from her detractors, who on multiple occasions have accused her of being a simple maintenance that seeks to monopolize the functions and obligations of a public office, since the title first lady is a burden. merely protocol and ceremonial, a part of public opinion largely coming from the opposition, have dared to affirm that everything is about a political strategy with a view to a possible future presidential campaign in 2026. In September 2022 Francia Márquez, expressed that the relationship with the President is the best, and that she herself had refused the possibility of attending the funeral of the Queen Elizabeth II, the vice president said in textual words that when the Minister of Foreign Affairs had proposed her to represent Colombia at the funeral she said she was not interested in attending the funeral of a representative of African oppression and slavery, taking as a reference that Great Britain was one of the most extensive colonial empires that oppressed the African race for many years, Marquez expressed that she does not feel that her place will be replaced and urged the media and the nation to take for granted that she was chosen to represent Afro-Colombians and that if she had attended the funeral she would have felt uncomfortable, because of the history and all that the British Empire represented for the black race. of her nation and to contribute from her position to the construction of peace. In February 2023, within her extracurricular agenda as first lady and social manager, she joined the celebration of the Carnival of Barranquilla, being the first time that a first lady in office participated in said party, Alcocer had previously been the target of criticism for the celebrations held on the night of August 7 after the presidential inauguration of her husband, where videos were leaked in which she appeared dancing to the rhythm of cumbia, fandango and porro, native sounds of Córdoba and Sucre, native departments of the presidential couple

Alcocer was harshly criticized, after a series of videos were leaked during her stay in Madrid, in which she made funny faces while the national anthem was playing, which was classified by some as disrespectful and rude, at the same time she was criticized for dancing in the street to the rhythm of the native mapalé dance from the Pacific region of Colombia, performed by a group of Colombian musicians based in Spain, who welcome Gustavo and Verónica

Fashion and style
On 21 June 2022, Alcocer chose black pants with a blue wool vest. When she voted for her husband, she inspired everything from memes to analysis of what her four years in this position will be like. On 7 August 2022, for her husband's inauguration ceremony, Alcocer used a design made up of a jumpsuit chosen for the occasion and designed exclusively for the first lady of Colombia, who wears a cape with three jewels on her shoulders. Momposina filigree crafts. silver buttons, cut 'full length'. Palazzo pants in ivory crepe fabric, which has a fine duchess silk lining on it, a detail that did not go unnoticed by the audience was the brooch with the image of the Virgin of the Miraculous, symbol of devotion and faith set with filigree. matching the silver buttons and made in Santa Cruz de Mompox, which brings together the indigenous heritage, all of this made by the designer Virgilio Madinah

Verónica Alcocer seeks to show off the artisans, who are present and that their excellent knowledge is an essential part of Colombia before the world. What they and they have woven and perpetuate in their communities, thanks to the protection and inheritance of their invaluable legacy. Metalero handmade jewelry, bag by designer Adriana Ureta and gift shoes from Norberto and Antonio. Verónica Alcocer traveled with her husband for the state visit to Spain between May 3 and 5, 2023, in which she stood out for the use of her practically etnic outfits, representatives of Colombian culture, where the symbolism of color fungi great prominence as white is the predominant color in his apparitions. For her arrival at the Palacio Real de Madrid on May 3, 2023, Alcocer wore an ecru crepe dress, 100 percent wool, decorated with handcrafted appliqués, which were made by Diana Chirimía, belonging to the Embera katío tribe and fabrics were made with beads, by the indigenous embera Gladys Nacavera Güipa, who was in charge of integrating all the costumes was the renowned designer from Cali Andrés Otálora. Later, Alcocer was commissioned to represent Colombia in the Coronation of Charles III, which he attended together with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Álvaro Leyva, in which he wore a white dress with headdresses of blue flowers, a set that complement with a pale pink hat. Notes

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1976 births
First ladies of Colombia
Living people
People from Sincelejo
21st-century Colombian women
Gustavo Petro
Dames Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic
Petro Family