Abelardo de la Espriella, praised by Trump, will be sworn in Friday in Cali amid tight security, promising military action against rebel groups and major budget cuts.
By Adam Makins · 
Colombia is about to enter a new political era. On Friday, conservative president-elect Abelardo de la Espriella will be sworn into office in the southwestern city of Cali, marking a dramatic shift away from the progressive policies of outgoing President Gustavo Petro. The 48-year-old former criminal defense lawyer is breaking with tradition by holding his inauguration outside the capital, Bogota, a choice that signals both his political outsider status and his priorities.
The security operation surrounding this inauguration is unprecedented. Some 11,000 troops have been deployed to Cali to protect de la Espriella and the roughly dozen heads of state attending the ceremony, including Argentina’s Javier Milei, Ecuador’s Daniel Noboa, Chile’s Jose Antonio Kast, and even King Felipe VI of Spain. Drones are banned from the airspace, and privately owned vehicles won’t be allowed on city roads during the event.
This isn’t just theater. Cali has been battered by drug violence and rebel group attacks, making it the perfect symbolic backdrop for de la Espriella’s tough-on-crime agenda. By choosing this city, he’s sending a clear message about what his administration will prioritize: control and security above all else.
De la Espriella won Colombia’s presidential election by roughly 250,000 votes, defeating left-wing candidate Ivan Cepeda by about one percentage point. His victory reflects a broader conservative shift sweeping through South America. Recent elections in Peru, Chile, and Ecuador have all brought right-wing leaders to power as voters increasingly focus on crime and security concerns.
The new president has already made his foreign policy alignment clear. He’s cutting diplomatic ties with Cuba, restoring relations with Israel, and positioning Colombia as a close partner of the Trump administration. More notably, he supports Trump’s controversial military campaign against suspected drug-carrying vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, an operation that has resulted in over 200 deaths.
De la Espriella’s approach couldn’t be more different from Petro’s. The outgoing president pursued “Total Peace,” a negotiation-based strategy with rebel groups and drug gangs that critics say largely failed. Armed groups allegedly used government-granted ceasefires to rearm and expand their control over rural communities.
The new president has promised to end peace talks entirely and confront these groups with greater military force. His plans include building large prisons, deploying aerial spraying to destroy coca crops (a practice Colombia abandoned over a decade ago due to environmental concerns), and accelerating the extradition of rebel leaders wanted in the United States. This represents a fundamental philosophical break from his predecessor.
Elizabeth Dickinson, a Colombia analyst at the International Crisis Group, notes that “the pendulum swings back to the right.” While increased military pressure could weaken rebel groups and encourage demobilization, she warns that completely shutting down future dialogue could backfire. “We’re talking about a conflict that has an estimated 27,000 individuals involved in different armed and criminal groups,” Dickinson said. “These individuals will need a route back into normal life.”
Beyond security matters, de la Espriella plans aggressive budget cuts to address the deficit that doubled under Petro. He’s targeting reductions of up to 40% in government spending and has already announced plans to close 14 Colombian embassies across Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean.
But the new president faces real obstacles. Colombia’s Congress is fragmented, and he’ll need to build coalition support to pass deeper reforms. More problematically, Petro has refused to acknowledge the election result, claiming without credible evidence that the vote was rigged. Political analyst Sergio Guzman suggests this could fuel sustained protests among Colombians concerned that de la Espriella’s anti-crime policies might lead to human rights abuses by security forces.
“Petro is going to be a constant nuisance for De la Espriella,” Guzman said, “but I think De la Espriella is ready for a fight with Petro, both rhetorically and potentially on the streets.”
The real test won’t come Friday at the inauguration. It will come in the months ahead, as de la Espriella attempts to transform Colombia’s security landscape while rebuilding its fiscal health. Can he deliver security gains without sacrificing democratic norms, or will his rightward momentum eventually collide with the very concept of peaceful conflict resolution?
Source: AP News
