Colombia's new president vows to remake the country — and challenge its fragile peace
Colombia's new president, Abelardo de la Espriella, is set to be inaugurated in Cali with a focus on aggressive security measures against rebel groups. His administration aims to reverse the previous government's 'Total Peace' strategy in favor of increased military control.
Why it matters
The shift in leadership signals a major change in Colombian domestic policy and regional security strategy regarding drug cartels and rebel factions.
BOGOTA, Colombia — Colombia's new president will be sworn into office Friday amid tight security measures aimed at preventing protests and potential attacks by rebel groups.
Abelardo de la Espriella, an outspoken conservative who has been praised by President Trump, has promised to confront rebel groups in Colombia with greater military force while cutting government spending to reduce a budget deficit that doubled under outgoing President Gustavo Petro.
De la Espriella, a former criminal defense lawyer who ran as a political outsider, is breaking with tradition by holding his inauguration ceremony in Cali rather than the capital, Bogotá. The 48-year-old chose the southwestern city, which has been hit hard by drug violence and attacks from rebel groups, as the site of his swearing-in.
Some 11,000 troops have been deployed to the city to ensure the safety of the new president and the roughly dozen heads of state attending the inauguration.
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