BOGOTA — Conservative Abelardo de la Espriella was sworn in as Colombia’s president Friday, breaking with tradition by holding his inauguration in the volatile southwestern city of Cali in a move intended to signal his hard-line approach to illegal armed groups.
De la Espriella, 48, succeeds Gustavo Petro after narrowly defeating Petro ally Sen. Iván Cepeda in a June 21 runoff election.
The lawyer and businessman, who had never previously held public office, campaigned as an outsider and largely financed his presidential bid with his own fortune. His victory marks a further shift to the right in Latin America.
The inauguration was held before Congress at a university auditorium in Cali. Among those attending were Spain’s King Felipe VI, acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche, FIFA President Gianni Infantino and Latin American leaders including Argentina’s Javier Milei, Ecuador’s Daniel Noboa and Chile’s José Antonio Kast.
Following the ceremony, de la Espriella planned to visit a military battalion in Cali to address troops and deliver a warning to illegal armed groups operating in the region: surrender or risk being declared “military targets.”
De la Espriella, who calls himself “El Tigre,” or “The Tiger,” has pledged to take a tougher approach to Colombia’s persistent violence, breaking with Petro’s policy of negotiating with armed groups. He has argued that the peace process has failed.
Security was a major concern surrounding the inauguration, with authorities establishing checkpoints to search vehicles for suspects and explosives.
Several armed groups compete for control of lucrative illegal economies, including drug trafficking and illegal mining. They include dissident factions of the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, that rejected the 2016 peace agreement, the Clan del Golfo cartel and the National Liberation Army, or ELN.
De la Espriella, who holds Colombian and U.S. citizenship, takes office after receiving the backing of U.S. President Donald Trump and amid growing regional concerns over crime, migration and economic conditions.
He has pledged to bring Colombia into the “Shield of the Americas,” a regional coalition aimed at combating drug trafficking that emerged from a summit hosted by Trump in March.
De la Espriella has also said his government will restore diplomatic relations with Israel while severing ties with Cuba and Nicaragua.
His presidency is expected to reinforce a broader shift toward conservative governments across parts of Latin America.
De la Espriella is also likely to face fierce political opposition from Petro, who initially refused to recognize his electoral victory and alleged fraud in the vote count. Colombia’s electoral authorities and international observers rejected those claims.
Petro left the presidential palace Friday saying he would respect the will of voters, but did not attend the inauguration.
Tensions were already visible on the streets. Demonstrations against de la Espriella were held in Cali, Bogota and Barranquilla.
Cali presents a particular political challenge for the new president. Petro retains strong support in the city, where most voters backed Cepeda in the runoff election.
Source: Saudi Gazette