Colombia's new president sworn in, vows security crackdown

Colombia's new president, Abelardo de la Espriella, was sworn into office on Friday, August 7, 2026, in a historic ceremony held in the southwestern city of Cali. The 48-year-old former criminal defense lawyer, who has never held elected office, marks a sharp rightward turn for the nation after four years under leftist President Gustavo Petro.

The inauguration, the first in over a century to take place outside the capital of Bogotá, unfolded under a massive security operation involving 11,000 troops. The event was attended by several international leaders, including Argentina's Javier Milei, Ecuador's Daniel Noboa, Chile's José Antonio Kast, Spain's King Felipe VI, and a U.S. delegation led by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. Outgoing President Petro did not attend.

De la Espriella, who won a narrow runoff victory in June by roughly one percentage point over leftist candidate Iván Cepeda, has pledged a dramatic reversal of his predecessor's policies. He has promised to end peace negotiations with the country's myriad armed and criminal groups, which have expanded their control over rural areas through drug trafficking, illegal mining, and extortion. Instead, he plans a...