Colombian President Gustavo Petro publicly defended his former wife, Verónica Alcocer, on November 17, 2025, following a report in the Swedish newspaper Expressen detailing her social life in Stockholm. The article alleges Alcocer frequents exclusive clubs and spends time with affluent individuals, prompting accusations of an extravagant lifestyle. Petro responded via social media, dismissing the reports as politically motivated attacks and asserting AlcocerS financial independence, a defense arriving amidst heightened scrutiny of the president and his family.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro has publicly defended his former wife, Verónica Alcocer, following reports in Swedish media detailing a lavish lifestyle she maintains in Stockholm.
The Swedish newspaper Expressen published an article outlining Alcocer’s social life, alleging she frequents exclusive clubs and spends time with wealthy individuals, enjoying champagne and attending private parties.
Petro responded to the reports on November 17, 2025, describing Alcocer as “a free woman” and asserting that she “doesn’t spend a single peso of public funds.” The defense comes as scrutiny of the president and his family intensifies.
“I see the far-right envious of Verónica… They make slanderous conjectures as always. They have already done a lot of damage to her, enormous damage, and she is not like me,” the president stated in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Petro further argued that “the far-right in the country lives off the state and cannot imagine what it’s like to live without it. The far-right doesn’t know what that is and cannot escape their trap of lies and fear.”
Veo a la extrema derecha envidiosa con Verónica, la madre de mis hijas.
Hace conjeturas calumniosas como siempre, ya le hicieron mucho daño, un enorme daño, y ella no es como yo.
Es una mujer libre, no gasta ni un peso del erario. Como la extrema derecha del país vive del…
— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) November 17, 2025
Petro asserted that the opposition’s “attempt to destroy my family to weaken me is not working” and emphasized that “there will always be respect for what my family was and is. What I always taught was honesty and freedom of thought. Freedom of being. The extreme Uribismo doesn’t know what that is.”
The Expressen article included statements from sources close to Alcocer, who described a lifestyle centered around dining at upscale restaurants in Stureplan, a central Stockholm district known for its high-end bars and entertainment venues.
According to the report, Alcocer also attends private parties and frequents “Noppes,” a private club founded by Count Carl Adam ‘Noppe’ Lewenhaupt, a friend of the king. The club was inherited by Lewenhaupt’s stepson, Leonard Taube, after the count’s death in 2017.
Expressen identified Alcocer’s friends as including Kristofer Ruscon, founder and owner of the Swedish champagne brand Hatt et Söner; Sofia Strand, founder of the Pixi makeup company; Olof Larsson, a watch magnate and millionaire who owns Nymans Ur; and his wife, Danielle Larsson.
President Petro’s defense of his former wife comes amid ongoing political tensions in Colombia and scrutiny of public figures’ lifestyles. The allegations, reported by Swedish media, have sparked debate about the personal lives of politicians and their families.
The Colombian president took to social media on November 17, 2025, to address reports detailing the affluent lifestyle of Verónica Alcocer, the mother of his daughters, in Stockholm, Sweden.
Expressen reported that Alcocer socializes with prominent figures in Stockholm’s high society, frequenting exclusive restaurants and clubs. Sources cited by the newspaper claim she enjoys a life of luxury, attending private parties and associating with wealthy business owners.
In a series of posts on X, Petro dismissed the reports as politically motivated attacks. “I see the far-right envious of Verónica,” he wrote. “They make slanderous conjectures as always. They have already done a lot of damage to her, enormous damage, and she is not like me.”
Petro insisted that Alcocer is financially independent and does not rely on public funds. “She is a free woman, she doesn’t spend a single peso of public funds,” he stated. He also accused his political opponents of hypocrisy, suggesting they are unable to comprehend a life outside of government dependency.
“The far-right doesn’t know what that is and cannot escape their trap of lies and fear,” Petro added. He further claimed that attempts to discredit his family are a tactic to undermine his leadership.
The president’s statements reflect a broader pattern of defending his family against criticism and accusations. The case highlights the increasing intersection of personal lives and political scrutiny in Colombia.
According to Expressen, Alcocer’s circle includes Kristofer Ruscon, founder of Hatt et Söner champagne, Sofia Strand of Pixi makeup, and Olof and Danielle Larsson, owners of the luxury watch retailer Nymans Ur.
The report details Alcocer’s attendance at exclusive events and her patronage of high-end establishments in Stockholm’s Stureplan district, a hub for the city’s elite.
