Friday, July 10th 2026 - 18:37 UTC
Article 192 of the Constitution states that the president must take office before Congress, though it does not specify that this must be at the National Capitol
Colombia's president-elect, Abelardo de la Espriella, has asked Congress to assess the legal feasibility of moving his inauguration ceremony, set for August 7, from Bogotá to a military garrison, in a proposal without recent precedent that will be left to the incoming legislature to decide.
The president-elect's transition team sent a letter to the secretariats of the Senate and the House of Representatives requesting an institutional opinion on the possibility of holding the ceremony outside the capital. Although the letter does not name a site, De la Espriella has expressed his intention to be sworn in at a base in Popayán, capital of the Cauca department in the country's southwest, one of the regions hardest hit by the armed conflict. His team is also evaluating four other military installations. “We are going to do it differently, as it has never been done, at a military garrison, to honor the true heroes of the homeland, police officers and soldiers,” the president-elect said.
The initiative opens a legal debate. Article 192 of the Constitution states that the president must take office before Congress, though it does not specify that this must be at the National Capitol, the ceremony's traditional venue. Legislative rules allow the chambers to temporarily relocate their seat through an agreement approved by both plenaries with a simple majority. The outgoing government of Gustavo Petro replied that it lacks the authority to approve a change of venue and that the decision rests solely with Congress. Legal experts quoted by the Colombian press agree that the move would be possible if the chambers approve it, though some note that the legally binding swearing-in must take place before Congress and that any event at a barracks would be merely symbolic.
