Colombia's new president Abelardo de la Espriella sworn in under militarized lockdown
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Abelardo de la Espriella took office in Cali surrounded by a massive military presence, vowing to escalate violence against rebel groups and slash vital public spending.
Colombia's president-elect Abelardo de la Espriella was inaugurated on Friday in the southwestern city of Cali, breaking with tradition by avoiding Bogotá and instead choosing a city marked by inequality and recent social unrest. The 48-year-old former criminal-defense lawyer arrived under a suffocating security apparatus, with approximately 11,000 troops deployed to the city, and draconian restrictions on drones and private vehicles, signaling a government more interested in control than dialogue.
De la Espriella, who ran as a so-called 'outsider,' made clear that his administration's top priority is to 'exert control of our territory,' a thinly veiled threat to escalate military aggression against rebel groups. He brazenly promised to end peace talks, abandoning the hard-won progress of recent years, and instead opting for more violence and repression. His plans to cut government spending by up to 40%, close 14 embassies, and accelerate extraditions of rebel leaders to the United States threaten to gut essential public services and further erode Colombia's sovereignty.
The inauguration, attended by conservative heads of state from Argentina, Ecuador, Chile, Spain, as well as U.S. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, FIFA President Gianni Infantino and other officials, underscored the international right-wing support for this reactionary shift. Analysts warn that this abrupt turn to the right, after four years of a progressive government, risks derailing the fragile reintegration of the estimated 27,000 individuals involved in armed groups, and could plunge the country back into conflict.
Outgoing President Gustavo Petro has rightly disputed the election results, citing irregularities—though details have yet to be made public—and has pledged to resist the incoming administration's regressive agenda. De la Espriella, facing a fragmented Congress, will have to cobble together a coalition to push through policies that threaten Colombia's hard-earned social gains.