Abelardo de la Espriella was sworn in as Colombia's president on Aug. 7, 2026, at an inauguration in Cali that broke with the tradition of holding the ceremony in Bogotá. The location in the country's volatile southwest was intended to emphasize his promised hard line toward illegal armed groups.
De la Espriella, a 48-year-old conservative lawyer and businessman, succeeded Gustavo Petro after narrowly defeating Senator Iván Cepeda, a Petro ally, in a June 21 runoff. He had never held public office and financed his outsider campaign with his own fortune.
Congress convened at a university auditorium for the oath under heavy security. Authorities established vehicle checkpoints to search for suspects and explosives. Attendees included Spain's King Felipe VI, acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche, FIFA President Gianni Infantino and the presidents of Argentina, Ecuador and Chile.
After the ceremony, de la Espriella planned to address troops at a military battalion in Cali. He said armed groups operating in the region must surrender or risk designation as military targets. The new president, who uses the nickname “El Tigre,” has argued that Petro's negotiations with armed organizations failed to curb violence.
Several groups compete over income from drug trafficking and illegal mining. They include dissident factions of the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia that rejected the peace agreement signed a decade earlier, the Clan del Golfo cartel and the National Liberation Army.
De la Espriella took office with support from US President Donald Trump and proposed joining Colombia to the “Shield of the Americas,” a regional anti-drug coalition that emerged from a Trump summit in March. He also said he would restore diplomatic relations with Israel and break ties with Cuba and Nicaragua.
The transfer unfolded amid deep political confrontation. Petro initially refused to recognize the election result, alleging that programmers manipulated thousands of tally sheets. Colombian electoral authorities and international observers dismissed the fraud claims. Petro later left the presidential palace saying he would respect the popular will, but he did not attend the inauguration.
Analysts warned that conflict could intensify. Petro urged supporters in the southwest to organize community militias and prepare for a general strike if authorities attempted to imprison him after office. Conflict researcher Andrés Macías said that rhetoric, combined with de la Espriella's security policy, increased the risk of clashes at demonstrations or tougher official responses.
Protests took place in Cali, Bogotá and Barranquilla. Cali had strongly supported Cepeda, and residents expressed both opposition to the incoming president and hope that demonstrations would remain peaceful.
De la Espriella's inauguration marked another rightward shift in Latin America. His immediate test is whether a more coercive security strategy can reduce armed violence without worsening political division or confrontation on the streets.
