De la Espriella sworn in as Colombia leader, vows crackdown on armed groups

What the report says

Abelardo de la Espriella was sworn in on Friday as Colombia’s president after winning a runoff election on promises to confront armed groups, sharply reduce state spending and boost the country’s oil and gas sector. Al Jazeera reports that the right-wing lawyer and businessman, a political newcomer known to supporters as “El Tigre,” replaced leftist outgoing president Gustavo Petro.

The inauguration took place in Cali, not Bogotá, breaking with tradition and underscoring the security and political symbolism of the event. Cali and Colombia’s southwest remain heavily affected by conflict involving dissident former FARC factions, the Clan del Golfo drug cartel and the ELN guerrilla group. Security around the ceremony was tight, with soldiers, armoured vehicles and checkpoints deployed nearby.

De la Espriella said little in the report about negotiations and instead signaled a harder line toward armed groups. After the ceremony, he visited a military battalion to address troops. He has also pledged to align more closely with the United States in anti-drug efforts, join a US-backed regional coalition against trafficking, and restore relations with Israel while cutting ties with Cuba and Nicaragua.

The transition marks a clear rightward shift in Colombia and adds to a broader regional trend of conservative victories in Latin America. Protesters demonstrated in several cities on inauguration day, while regional and international leaders, including Spain’s King Felipe VI and Argentina’s Javier Milei, attended the event.