This was reported to SEMANA by high-ranking sources of the national government First Lady Verónica Alcocer has not claimed the $63 million a day authorized by a decree signed by Secretary of State Álvaro Leyva to travel to Japan under the designation of Goodwill Ambassador.
It was also said that to date no funds have been disbursed from the First Lady’s visit to the Asian giant. However, it has been clarified that Alcocer must submit a report, a procedure that is mandatory in this type of mission.
Last week, Alcocer appeared on his social media with the First Lady of Japan, Yuko Kishida, whom he thanked “for inviting me to see his home.”
Thank you to the First Lady of Japan, Yuko Kishida, for inviting us to meet us at her home.🫶🏻
We spoke about women’s difficulties, inequalities, violence, and the importance of building alliances and empowering women’s networks around the world. 🇨🇴🇯🇵 pic.twitter.com/BthFTHUubt
— Veronica Alcocer Garcia (@Veronicacocerg) September 28, 2022
President Petro’s wife said she spoke to the Japanese First Lady about women’s difficulties, inequalities and violence, and the importance of building alliances and strengthening women’s networks around the world.
He did so after attending the state funeral of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was assassinated on July 8 while leading a street rally, a political event that divided Japan and sparked some confrontations among citizens.
Former First Ladies have also traveled under the figure of Special Mission Ambassadors
Amid the excitement sparked by the executive order authorizing First Lady Verónica Alcocer’s travel days to Japan for 63 million pesos, SEMANA learned of the trips made by former First Ladies of former Presidents Iván Duque, Juan Manuel Santos and Álvaro Uribe Vélez with similar decrees.
According to information from SEMANA, María Juliana Ruiz, Duque’s wife, made 12 trips abroad as a goodwill ambassador. Here is the list of departures from Colombia.
October 16, 2018: Special mission from October 16 to 24 in the city of Rome, Italy.
March 19, 2019: Special Mission to New York City, United States, March 19-21.
April 9, 2019: Special Mission to New York City, United States, April 10-11.
April 24, 2019: Special Mission April 22-24, 2019 to New York City, United States.
July 12, 2019: Special Mission to New York City, United States, July 14-16.
September 20, 2019: Special operation from September 21 to 26 to New York City, USA.
October 11, 2019: Special Mission October 12-16, 2019 to the city of Rome, Italy.
October 16, 2019: Special mission from October 17 to 19, 2019 in the city of Rome, Italy.
December 11, 2019: Special Mission in the city of Rome, Italy, December 11-14.
June 11, 2021: Official trip from June 14 to 16, 2021 to the city of Washington, United States.
Lina Moreno de Uribe, Maria Clemencia Rodríguez de Santos, Maria Juliana Ruiz and Veronica Alcocer. – Photo: JUAN CARLOS SIERRA – GUILLERMO TORRES – ALEXANDRA RUIZ POVEDAFebruary 8, 2022: Special Mission to the City of Washington, United States, February 8-12, 2022.
March 25, 2022: Special operation from March 26 to April 1, 2022.
This is the list of trips she made under the person of Special Envoy María Clemencia Rodríguez de Santos, wife of former President Juan Manuel Santos:
June 20, 2011: María Clemencia Rodríguez de Santos is hired to move to the city of Washington, United States on June 29-30.
November 7, 2011: María Clemencia hires Rodríguez de Santos to move to the Mexican city of Puebla from October 25 to 28.
October 10, 2011: María Clemencia Rodríguez de Santos is hired to move to the city of Miami, United States, November 11-15.
April 10, 2012: Assigns María Clemencia Rodríguez de Santos to accept an invitation to the city of Brasilia, Brazil, from April 22 to 26.
June 26, 2012: Hired María Clemencia Rodríguez de Santos to move to New York City, United States, June 27–29.
August 15, 2012: María Clemencia Rodríguez de Santos is hired to move to the City of London, England on August 24-31.
April 30, 2013: Appointed María Clemencia Rodríguez de Santos as ambassador for a special mission to Guatemala City from May 28-30.
November 6, 2015: Mission of the Special Envoy to María Clemencia Rodríguez de Santos to travel to the city of Beijing, China and London, England, from December 14 to November 2.
October 10, 2017: Appointed María Clemencia Rodríguez de Santos as ambassador for a special mission to the city of Paris, France, October 17-22, 2017.
February 2, 2018: María Clemencia Rodríguez de Santos will serve as ambassador on a special mission to the city of Madrid, Spain, February 16-28.
For her part, Lina María Moreno de Uribe, wife of former President Álvaro Uribe Vélez, traveled abroad five times as a special mission ambassador. These trips are distributed as follows:
September 20, 2002: Lina María Moreno de Uribe is hired to transfer to Mexico City September 25-29, 2002.
February 5, 2004: Lina María Moreno de Uribe is commissioned to travel to Rome, Italy and Berlin, Germany from February 9-14.
September 26, 2005: Order from September 27, 2005 to October 1, 2005 to Lina María Moreno de Uribe, to move to the city of Asunción, Paraguay.
September 6, 2007: Lina María Moreno de Uribe is commissioned to move to the city of Havana, Cuba, September 9-13.
July 25, 2008: Lina María Moreno de Uribe is hired to move to Mexico City August 1-5.