Trump ally Abelardo de la Espriella sworn in as Colombia president
Apnews · 2 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Conservative Abelardo de la Espriella was sworn in as Colombia's president on Friday in a ceremony held in the volatile southwestern city of Cali, deliberately breaking with the tradition of holding inaugurations in the capital Bogota . The 48-year-old former lawyer and businessman, who has never held public office, won a narrow runoff election on June 21 against leftist Senator Ivan Cepeda, ending four years of Colombia's first-ever leftist government under Gustavo Petro . De la Espriella, who calls himself "El Tigre" ("The Tiger"), has pledged a dramatic shift to the right, promising military confrontation with illegal armed groups rather than negotiation .
Key Points
- De la Espriella won by less than one percentage point in the June 21 runoff, defeating Petro's ally Senator Ivan Cepeda .
- The inauguration in Cali featured 11,000 troops and an anti-drone system due to recent guerrilla pipe bomb attacks in the city .
- Attendees included King Felipe VI of Spain, acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche, FIFA President Gianni Infantino, and Latin American presidents Javier Milei of Argentina, Daniel Noboa of Ecuador, and Jose Antonio Kast of Chile .
- De la Espriella plans to bomb jungle cocaine laboratories, build "mega prisons," and slash the size of the state .
- The new president, who holds dual U.S. and Colombian citizenship, has offered to host U.S. troops and launch joint military operations .
Why It Matters
De la Espriella's alignment with Donald Trump and offer to host American troops represents a significant geopolitical shift that could reshape U.S. influence in Latin America . For Hong Kong readers watching global power dynamics, this development signals how conservative populist movements are gaining ground across regions traditionally dominated by leftist governance, with potential implications for trade relationships and diplomatic alignments in emerging markets where Hong Kong maintains substantial business interests .
De la Espriella's alignment with Donald Trump and offer to host American troops represents a significant geopolitical shift that could reshape U.S. influence in Latin America . For Hong Kong readers watching global power dynamics, this development signals how conservative populist movements are gaining ground across regions traditionally dominated by leftist governance, with potential implications for trade relationships and diplomatic alignments in emerging markets where Hong Kong maintains substantial business interests .