The First Lady of Colombia, Verónica Alcocer, visited La Picota prison in Bogotá on the morning of Thursday, September 4, where she met with 58 inmates.
According to the Casa de Nariño, the activity corresponded to a"day of active listening" with the objective of learning about the resocialization processes that are carried out there, such as the productive bakery and crafts projects.
The visit sparked political debate after presidential candidate Vicky Dávila questioned its timing.
“ The government needs to explain why she's visiting prisons eight months before the presidential elections. Are we facing the La Picota 2.0 pact?,” Dávila posed on social media.
Response from the House of Nariño
The Presidency responded that the activity is part of the work Alcocer has been doing since 2024 in various penitentiary centers across the country.
According to Caracol Radio, the cities visited include Montería, Sincelejo, Santa Marta, and, most recently, Barranquilla.
According to official information, the initiative seeks to study how detention centers can contribute to national reconciliation processes.
Social media dissemination
The Casa de Nariño clarified that these types of events are not held privately, but have been documented on the first lady's social media accounts, where images and messages alluding to human dignity, non-violence, and respect for differences are disseminated.
According to the Presidency, the goal is to highlight the work of resocialization and promote second chances for people deprived of their liberty.
Alcocer's entry into prison was accompanied by temporary restrictions.
According to 'El Colombiano', pre-candidate Dávila shared a directive from the Inpec in which it was established that, during the morning of September 4, the entry of vehicles with supplies or external personnel, including lawyers, representatives of banking entities, religious visits or educational activities, would not be permitted.
The order indicated that services would resume at 1:30 p.m., once the first lady's meeting with the inmates concluded.
Return to the public agenda
Alcocer's visit to La Picota also came after several days of absence from the public agenda, which drew attention to his return to official duties.
The meeting at the prison, like the previous ones, was presented by the Presidency as an exercise focused on listening, reconciliation, and community building from within the prison.
*This content was written with the assistance of artificial intelligence, based on publicly available information released to media outlets. It was also reviewed by a journalist and an editor.
