“Iโข don’t speak English”: Verรณnica Alcocer avoidsโ questions in Stockholmโ amid luxury spending controversy
stockholm, Sweden – Verรณnica Alcocer, the wife of Colombianโค President Gustavo Petro, deflected questions from the press in Stockholm this week, โขstating “I don’t speak English,” โas scrutiny โmounts over reportsโ detailing a lavish lifestyle during her stay in Sweden. The encounter occurred as โคimages and reports circulated โฃalleging Alcocer frequents upscale restaurants in theโข Stureplan district, attends exclusive private parties – including โat โNoppes, a private club founded by Count Carl Adam “Noppe” โขLewenhaupt – and generally โlives a life of luxury.
The controversy erupted after media reports highlighted Alcocer’s activities in Sweden,โ prompting a defense from President Petro, who stated via social media on November 21st that Alcocer is notโ a Swedish resident and is in the contry solely to attendโ an intensive English course. He furtherโฃ asserted she resides โin a โคrented 40 โคsquare meterโ space โand, โฃas aโฃ European citizen, is entitled to privacy.โฃ theโฃ timing of the reports and Alcocer’s inability to โฃreturn to Colombia, according to Petro, is due to what โhe termed “the โignominy” directed at his goverment.
Reports haveโค also surfaced regarding Alcocer’sโฃ association with businessman Grau Pujadas, who reportedly โentered Petro’s campaign through Eva Ferrer, a close friend of Alcocer. Pujadas accompaniedโข Alcocer on trips, includingโ a visit to the Vatican โfor a private audience with โขPope Francis, and was proposed by theโข Treasuryโฃ in 2023 to join the board of directors โofโ CISA, aโค state asset โฃmanagement company.
Alcocer’s European citizenship has become a focal โpoint of โthe debate, โฃwith President Petro emphasizing her rightsโฃ as a Europeanโ citizen while together lamenting the intrusion into her privacy. โThe situation continues to unfold as publicโข criticism intensifies โboth in Colombia and on social media.
