De la Espriella sworn in as Colombia leader, vows crackdown on armed groups

New president, who replaces leftist Gustavo Petro, continues rightward political shift in Latin America.Published On 8 Aug 20268 Aug 2026Right-wing lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella has been sworn in as Colombia‘s president after winning a run-off election on promises to crack down on the armed groups, cut government spending by as much as 40 percent, and revive the South American country’s oil and gas industry.De la Espriella, 48, took the oath of office on Friday, breaking with tradition by holding the ceremony not in the capital, Bogota, but in Cali, a city in Colombia’s volatile southwest that has long borne the brunt of the government’s conflict with armed groups.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Colombia minister warns of ‘terrorism’ threat at presidential inaugurationlist 2 of 3At least 11 wounded by Colombia car bomb days before presidential electionlist 3 of 3Colombia’s Petro repeats vote fraud claims days before handing over powerend of listThe choice signaled a decisive break from the strategy of negotiated peace with those groups pursued by outgoing leftist leader Gustavo Petro, whom de la Espriella defeated in June’s runoff. De La Espriella has dismissed Petr...