Colombia's New President Sworn In in Cali, Vowing Hard Line on Armed Groups

Colombia's new president, Abelardo de la Espriella, was sworn in on Friday in a heavily secured ceremony in Cali, a city in the country's volatile southwest. The decision to hold the inauguration outside the capital was a deliberate break with tradition, intended to underscore his hard-line stance against illegal armed groups.

De la Espriella, a 48-year-old conservative who has never held public office, won a close runoff election on June 21 against Senator Iván Cepeda, an ally of outgoing President Gustavo Petro. He financed his outsider campaign with a fortune amassed as a lawyer and businessman. The ceremony took place at a university auditorium before Congress, with King Felipe VI of Spain and several Latin American presidents, including Argentina's Javier Milei, Ecuador's Daniel Noboa, and Chile's José Antonio Kast, in attendance.

Following the swearing-in, de la Espriella planned to address troops at a military battalion in Cali. He aims to boost morale while warning armed groups operating in the area to surrender or face being declared "military targets." The new president, who calls himself "El Tigre" (The Tiger), has pledged to break with Petro's policy of negotiating with armed groups, arguing that the peace process has failed.

Violence in the region is fueled by disputes over illegal economies like drug trafficking and illegal mining among groups including dissident factions of the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the Clan del Golfo cartel, and the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla group.

De la Espriella, a Colombian-American citizen, comes to power with the backing of U.S. President Donald Trump. Analysts see his rise as reinforcing a rightward shift across Latin America. He has said his government will unite Colombia with the "Shield of the Americas," a regional anti-drug trafficking coalition, and plans to resume diplomatic relations with Israel while severing them with Cuba and Nicaragua.

Outgoing President Petro has refused to recognize the electoral victory, alleging fraud that international observers and Colombian electoral authorities have dismissed. Analysts expect Petro to be a "relentless" and "acerbic" opponent. He has urged social movements to organize "people's militias" and called for a potential general strike. In Cali, where Petro has a large following, social and student groups have called for demonstrations during the inauguration, with protests also expected in Bogota and Barranquilla.