Colombia’s new president to take office in ceremony in Cali highlighting hard line on armed groups

Cali, Colombia (AP) - Conservative Abelardo de la Espriella will be inaugurated as Colombia's president on Friday under substantial security measures in the city of Cali, marking a departure from the tradition of holding the ceremony in the nation's capital. This shift is intended to underscore his firm stance against illegal armed groups.

De la Espriella, aged 48, succeeds outgoing President Gustavo Petro following a narrow victory in the June 21 runoff election. The newly elected president, a first-time elected official, amassed his campaign funds independently through his legal and business endeavors. The inauguration will take place at a university auditorium before the legislature, reflecting a further conservative turn in the region.

Heads of state from Spain and several Latin American nations, including Argentina’s Javier Milei, Ecuador’s Daniel Noboa, and Chile’s José Antonio Kast, are expected to attend the event. Following the inauguration, De la Espriella will visit a military base in Cali to address the troops, aiming to bolster their morale while issuing a stern warning to criminal organizations operating in the area to either lay down their arms or be treated as "military targets."

De la Espriella, who identifies himself as "El Tigre" or "The Tiger," has vowed to address Colombia's persistent violence by diverging from Petro's policy of diplomacy with armed factions, arguing that the peace process has been unsuccessful. De la Espriella, a Colombian-American citizen, ascends to power with the backing of U.S. President Donald Trump.

His leadership is seen as part of a broader rightward trend across Latin America, which analysts anticipate will consolidate a coalition of conservative governments against a diminishing number of left-leaning administrations. The new president has emphasized his commitment to unite Colombia under the "Shield of the Americas," a regional coalition aimed at combating drug trafficking, which originated from a summit hosted by Trump in March.

Furthermore, De la Espriella announced his intention to re-establish diplomatic ties with Israel while simultaneously severing relations with Cuba and Nicaragua, labeling them as "tyrannies."