Abelardo de la Espriella was sworn in as Colombia’s president on Friday, promising to boost ties with the United States and tackle armed groups linked to the drug trade.
The 48-year-old ex-lawyer lurches the Andean nation to the right, taking office after winning a close June 21 runoff against Sen. Ivan Cepeda, an ally of outgoing President Gustavo Petro.
What happened at the inauguration?
In a speech shortly after his swearing-in, De la Espriella vowed once again to wipe out “narcoterrorism” in the South American country.
“The option of dialogue is completely exhausted,” he said, referring to his predecessor, who had promoted a peaceful resolution to the crisis.
De la Espriella then promised to restore “order, authority and freedom” to the South American nation.
“There will be no room for maneuvers that undermine the stability of the nation,” said the hardline leader, who has spoken of opening mega-prisons to house captured rebels and drug dealers.
Instead of the capital Bogota, the inauguration took place at a university in the southwestern city of Cali.
Colombia’s third-largest city is located near major drug-trafficking corridors and the Pacific coast, and is a regular scene of violence by rival groups.
Among the VIP guests were King Felipe VI of Spain, acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche, FIFA President Gianni Infantino and Latin American presidents, including Argentina’s Javier Milei, Ecuador’s Daniel Noboa and Chile’s Jose Antonio Kast.
Outgoing president Petro declined to attend the ceremony and called for mass protests Friday, claiming election fraud without providing evidence.
Who is Abelardo de la Espriella?
The 48-year-old is a former lawyer and businessman who has never held public office.
He funded his campaign with the profits from his law firm and other business ventures in the agri-food, real estate and fashion sectors.
The self-styled “El Tigre” (The Tiger) plans to forge a military alliance with the US and Israel to aid his war on rebel groups, including remnants of the FARC guerrillas, who waged an armed conflict that peaked in the 1990s and 2000s.
De la Espriella won the backing of US President Donald Trump after committing Colombia to a US-backed coalition to fight drug trafficking, dubbed the “Shield of the Americas.”
He has also offered to launch joint military operations with Washington and even host US troops on Colombian soil.
The millionaire has also announced plans to resume diplomatic relations with Israel and sever them with Cuba and Nicaragua.
De la Espriella’s win is another point for right-wing politics in Latin America, after electoral victories from Chile to Costa Rica, having also promised to crack down on security issues.
Edited by: Roshni Majumdar
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