Abelardo de la Espriella Sworn In as Colombia's President, Vows Crackdown on Armed Groups
Al Jazeera English
Abelardo de la Espriella was sworn in as Colombia's president on Friday in Cali, vowing to crack down on armed groups, slash government spending, and revive the oil industry. The ceremony marks a clear rightward shift, breaking from the peace policies of his leftist predecessor Gustavo Petro.
Right-wing lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella was sworn in as Colombia's president on Friday (August 7) after winning a runoff election with promises to crack down on armed groups, cut government spending by up to 40%, and revive the oil and gas industry of this South American nation.
De la Espriella, 48, took the oath of office in Cali, a troubled southwestern city long scarred by conflict between the state and armed groups, breaking with tradition by holding the ceremony outside the capital Bogota. The choice signals a clear departure from the peace-talk strategy with armed groups pursued by outgoing leftist leader Gustavo Petro, whom De la Espriella defeated in the June runoff, branding his rival's policies a failure.
A political newcomer nicknamed "El Tigre" (The Tiger) by supporters, De la Espriella built his career and reputation as a lawyer and businessman, largely self-funding his independent campaign. His rise marks an ideological reversal for a country previously led by a former guerrilla fighter who frequently criticized U.S. President Donald Trump's drug and immigration policies. In contrast, De la Espriella is aligned with Trump and his militarized approach to combating drug crime in Latin America.
Security was a top concern at Friday's ceremony, held in a university auditorium before Congress. Soldiers and armored vehicles lined nearby roads, and police set up checkpoints to scan for explosives in the preceding days. After the ceremony, De la Espriella visited a nearby army battalion, speaking directly to soldiers—both a morale boost for the armed forces and a signal to armed groups of his intended approach.
Colombia's southwest remains contested by dissident factions of the demobilized FARC guerrilla movement that reject a decade-old peace deal. Drug gangs like the Clan del Golfo and the ELN guerrilla group also operate in the region. The new president also pledged to join the "Americas Shield," a U.S.-backed regional alliance against drug trafficking formed after a summit hosted by the Trump administration in March. He announced plans to restore diplomatic ties with Israel and break relations with Cuba and Nicaragua, calling them "dictatorships."
Petro initially refused to accept the election results, alleging vote rigging—a claim rejected by international observers and Colombia's electoral authorities—but later conceded he would respect the outcome. Protests nonetheless erupted in Cali, Bogota, and Barranquilla on inauguration day. In Cali's Puerto Resistencia neighborhood, a hotspot for major anti-government demonstrations in 2021, 25-year-old protester Sebastian Ocampo said people were "defending dignity" against a president they felt did not represent them.
De la Espriella's victory continues a string of conservative successes across Latin America, with seven leaders elected since Trump returned to the White House in January 2025, including Keiko Fujimori in Peru, Jose Antonio Kast in Chile, and Javier Milei in Argentina. Trump personally backed De la Espriella's campaign. Leaders attending Friday's ceremony included Spain's King Felipe VI, acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche, FIFA President Gianni Infantino, and fellow Latin American conservatives Milei and Kast.
