POLITICS · COLOMBIA
Key Facts
- —The country Colombia, a close US security partner, swapped Gustavo Petro’s leftist government for conservative President Abelardo De La Espriella in August.
- —Why it matters Former first lady Verónica Alcocer faces allegations of flying drugs to Venezuela and returning with cash. The US Treasury already sanctioned her and Petro in October 2025.
- —Why now On Tuesday 13 October the Procuraduría, the watchdog that disciplines public officials, summoned Eva Ferrer and five others to testify under oath.
- —What happened The watchdog also opened a preliminary inquiry into unnamed Air Force and presidency officials over the use of official aircraft between 2023 and 2026.
- —What it means for US readers These are allegations, not charges. Any finding could feed US scrutiny of a sanctioned former first family and of flights to Venezuela.
- —Still open Whether Ferrer shows evidence, whether she attends a prosecutors’ summons on Wednesday 14 October, and whether Alcocer answers the new claims.
Colombia’s Inspector General’s Office, the Procuraduría, on Tuesday summoned Eva Ferrer and five other people to testify under oath. Ferrer is a former adviser who accuses ex-first lady Verónica Alcocer of flying drugs and cash between Venezuela and Colombia.
The case matters abroad because Washington already treats Alcocer as a sanctions target. The US Treasury designated her and her then husband, former President Gustavo Petro, on Friday 24 October 2025.
Nothing has been proven, and nobody has been charged over the new claims. Alcocer, Petro and everyone named are entitled to the presumption of innocence.
What the Procuraduría Ordered
The Procuraduría General de la Nación announced the summons on Tuesday 13 October in a statement from Bogotá. It said the testimony relates to alleged acts of corruption by several public servants, as reported by Semana magazine on Saturday.
Besides Ferrer, the order names Carmen Caballero, Angie Rodríguez, Concepción Baracaldo, Guillermo Reyes and Ingrid Carolina Plata Navas. Each must testify under oath in the same case.
Semana describes Rodríguez as a former head of the Administrative Department of the Presidency, known as Dapre. It lists Baracaldo as an ex-head of the ICBF welfare agency, Caballero of ProColombia and Reyes as ex-ambassador to Sweden.
The order tells the watchdog’s National Directorate of Special Investigations to gather evidence on the published claims. The Procuraduría said the step extends an inquiry it had already opened after earlier Semana reports quoting Ferrer.
Later on Tuesday, the Procuraduría issued a second order over aircraft of the Colombian Aerospace Force, known as FAC. It opened a preliminary inquiry into officials of the FAC and Dapre who have not yet been identified.
The aim, the watchdog said, is to identify any alleged offenders and establish whether the facts existed and have disciplinary relevance. A preliminary inquiry is the earliest stage of a disciplinary case and is not an accusation.
According to the order seen by El Tiempo and Semana, investigators will inspect Dapre and the military air transport command, Catam. They want records of Alcocer’s trips to Venezuela from 2023 to 2026, including passengers, crews and flight orders.
The Procuraduría disciplines public officials and can suspend or dismiss them, but it does not bring criminal charges. Criminal cases belong to the Attorney General’s Office, the Fiscalía, which runs its own inquiry.
What Ferrer Alleges and How Petro’s Camp Responded
Ferrer, who was born in Barcelona, ran Alcocer’s communications during Petro’s 2022 campaign and later served as a presidential adviser. El Tiempo and El Heraldo both describe that background, and she later fell out with Alcocer.
In an interview published by Semana on Saturday 10 October, Ferrer alleged that Alcocer flew drugs to Venezuela on an official aircraft. She also claimed Alcocer returned from one trip in January 2023 with US$2.5 million.
Ferrer said she learned of the cash from a man named Manel Grau, not first hand. She said photos of drug-filled suitcases seem to exist but has not published them.
Petro rejected the claims on X on Monday 12 October and announced legal action. He challenged Semana’s owner, Gabriel Gilinski, to prove that Alcocer used an Air Force plane to traffic drugs or weapons.
Petro also asked his daughters and their mother to sue Gilinski for aggravated slander, according to El Heraldo. He also said the claims could hurt Air Force officers who only followed their superiors’ orders.
Alcocer had not answered the Saturday interview publicly by Tuesday evening, as far as Colombian media reported. When Ferrer’s first recordings surfaced in August, Alcocer said the claims lacked any basis and did not correspond to reality.
Senator Agmeth Escaf, whom Ferrer also accuses, told Caracol Radio the claims are a smear campaign against Petro’s progressive movement. He said Ferrer’s account has changed over time and that he is preparing legal action for slander.
Separately, the Fiscalía has summoned Ferrer for a third time to give a statement at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday 14 October, Caracol Radio reported. She did not appear at earlier dates in August and on 29 September.
That criminal inquiry stems from recordings Semana released on 1 August, in which Ferrer first raised claims about Alcocer’s circle. An earlier report, Colombia Probes Alcocer Flights Over US$2.5M Claim, covered the Air Force inquiry ordered on Saturday.
What It Means for US Readers
The US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control designated Petro, Alcocer, Petro’s son Nicolás and Armando Benedetti in October 2025. It acted under counternarcotics authorities, accusing Petro of allowing drug cartels to flourish.
New claims that link Alcocer to Venezuela land in a sensitive place for Washington. President De La Espriella has asked US authorities, along with Colombian courts and prosecutors, to examine the allegations within their powers.
For investors, the case is political noise rather than a market event. De La Espriella‘s government moved quickly on the claims, while Petro’s camp calls them a campaign against the opposition.
Travellers and businesses face no direct effect from a disciplinary inquiry. The calmer reading is that the claims now move into formal channels, where testimony and flight records can confirm or dismiss them.
What Is Not Known
It is not known whether Ferrer holds documents, photos or witnesses that support her account. Her main cash claim rests on what she says Grau told her, and he has not publicly confirmed it.
It is unclear whether Ferrer will attend either summons, given that she missed two earlier dates set by prosecutors. The Procuraduría has not published dates for the six testimonies.
Nobody yet knows which Air Force or presidency officials, if any, will face disciplinary charges. Alcocer’s own response to the new interview, and any US reaction, also remain open.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Eva Ferrer?
Eva Ferrer is a Barcelona-born communications strategist who ran Verónica Alcocer’s image during Petro’s 2022 campaign. She later served as a presidential adviser before falling out with Alcocer.
What did the Procuraduría decide on 13 October?
It summoned Ferrer and five others to testify under oath about alleged corruption reported by Semana. It also opened a preliminary inquiry into unnamed Air Force and presidency officials over official flights.
Has Verónica Alcocer been charged?
No. The allegations have not been proven, and the Procuraduría inquiry targets public officials rather than Alcocer herself.
What do Petro and Alcocer say?
Petro called the claims false, challenged Semana’s owner to show proof and announced lawsuits. In August, Alcocer said earlier claims lacked any basis and did not correspond to reality.
Why does this matter to the United States?
The US Treasury sanctioned Petro and Alcocer in October 2025 over alleged drug links. President De La Espriella has asked US authorities to examine the new allegations too.
Sources: Procuraduría (summons); Procuraduría (second order); US Treasury; El Tiempo; El Tiempo (inspections); Semana; Semana (who is who); El Heraldo (Petro); El Heraldo (Alcocer, August); Caracol Radio (Fiscalía); Caracol Radio (Escaf).
Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief · Editorial standards · Report an error