&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Colombia’s new president Abelardo de la Espriella vows to ‘defeat narco-terrorists’, signals hardline shift")
Colombia's new President Abelardo de la Espriella has promised a sweeping crackdown on armed groups and drug trafficking, declaring that there will be "no room" for forces threatening the country's stability.
In his first major address after taking office on Friday (Aug 7), the 48-year-old leader told thousands of soldiers in Cali that his government would "relentlessly defeat narco-terrorism" and abandon dialogue with armed groups.
"The option of dialogue is completely exhausted," de la Espriella said, drawing a sharp contrast with the previous government's attempts to negotiate with guerrillas and other armed groups.
A sharp turn to the right
De la Espriella's presidency marks a major political shift for Colombia after four years under its first leftist government. The US-backed millionaire has positioned himself as a strong security leader and has promised to work closely with Washington under President Donald Trump.
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He has proposed allowing US troops to operate from Colombian soil, targeting cocaine laboratories in the jungle, building "mega-prisons" and reducing the size of the state.
The president, who holds both Colombian and US citizenship, has also made a military salute part of his public image.
Why Cali was chosen for the inauguration
De la Espriella broke with tradition by holding his inauguration in Cali, the country's salsa capital, rather than in the capital Bogota. The city has experienced several guerrilla attacks in recent years, prompting authorities to deploy around 11,000 troops and an anti-drone system for the ceremony.
The event was attended by several prominent right-wing figures, including Argentine President Javier Milei and Trump's acting attorney general, Todd Blanche. FIFA President Gianni Infantino was also among the guests.
De la Espriella's leftist predecessor, Gustavo Petro, did not attend the ceremony.
A narrow victory, divided Congress
De la Espriella won the presidential election by less than one percentage point, ending four years of left-wing rule.
His government, however, faces an immediate political challenge. He does not control a majority in Congress and will have to work with a divided legislature to implement his agenda.
De la Espriella’s ‘Plan Colombia II’
The new president has vowed to eliminate coca crops used to produce cocaine "by all means" and has advocated fracking despite environmental concerns.
He also wants to cut taxes for wealthy Colombians and build a closer military partnership with the US and Israel to fight guerrilla groups.
His proposed "Plan Colombia II" takes its name from the original US-backed programme launched in the 2000s to combat drug cartels and leftist armed groups.
The earlier initiative helped weaken major armed groups but was also accompanied by allegations of serious human rights abuses.
