Colombia's President Takes Office With Tough Stance on Rebels

WHO:

NPR - Abelardo de la Espriella, Colombia's new president, is 48 years old and has never held public office before.

NPR - Gustavo Petro, the outgoing president, is a progressive who attempted to negotiate peace agreements with rebel groups.

NPR - Iván Cepeda, a left-wing candidate, was defeated by de la Espriella in the presidential election.

AP - King Felipe VI of Spain, Argentina's Javier Milei, Ecuador's Daniel Noboa, and Chile's José Antonio Kast are expected to attend the inauguration.

AP - U.S. President Trump has praised de la Espriella and provided backing for his campaign.

WHAT:

NPR - De la Espriella has promised to confront rebel groups with greater military force and cut government spending to reduce a budget deficit.

NPR - He won the presidential election by about 250,000 votes, defeating Iván Cepeda by roughly one percentage point.

AP - De la Espriella's inauguration will be held in Cali, breaking with tradition of holding it in Bogotá.

AP - He plans to declare illegal armed groups as "military targets" if they do not surrender.

AP - De la Espriella aims to cut government spending by as much as 40% and has announced plans to close 14 Colombian embassies.

WHERE:

NPR - The inauguration ceremony will take place in Cali, Colombia.

AP - The inauguration will be held at a university auditorium in Cali.

WHEN:

NPR - De la Espriella will be sworn into office on Friday.

AP - De la Espriella won the presidential election on June 21.

WHY:

NPR - De la Espriella argues that the peace process under Petro has failed, leading to his hard-line approach against armed groups.

AP - His rise to power reflects a rightward shift in Latin America, as voters focus on crime and security concerns.

HOW:

NPR - De la Espriella plans to use military force and build large prisons as part of his crime-fighting strategy.

NPR - He intends to use aerial spraying and drones to destroy illegal coca crops, a practice previously halted due to environmental concerns.

AP - Heavy security measures, including the deployment of 11,000 troops, have been implemented for the inauguration.

(UPDATED August 7, 2026 19:53 UTC)

Colombia's new president, Abelardo de la Espriella, is set to be sworn into office on Friday, following a narrow victory over left-wing candidate Iván Cepeda in the presidential election, where he won by about 250,000 votes. De la Espriella, who has never held public office before, plans to adopt a hard-line approach against illegal armed groups, declaring them military targets if they do not surrender, and aims to cut government spending by as much as 40%. His inauguration will take place in a university auditorium in Cali, with heavy security measures in place, including the deployment of 11,000 troops, and notable attendees expected to include King Felipe VI of Spain and U.S. President Trump, who has praised de la Espriella's campaign.