Abelardo de la Espriella was sworn in as Colombia's president on Friday, promising to boost ties with the United States and tackle armed groups linked to the drug trade.
The 48-year-old ex-lawyer lurches the Andean nation to the right, taking office after winning a close June 21 runoff against Sen. Ivan Cepeda, an ally of outgoing President Gustavo Petro.Security was stepped up in case armed groups ambushed the occasionImage: Luis Acosta/AFP
What happened at the inauguration?
In a speech shortly after his swearing-in, De la Espriella vowed once again to wipe out "narcoterrorism" in the South American country."The option of dialogue is completely exhausted," he said, referring to his predecessor, who had promoted a peaceful resolution to the crisis.
De la Espriella then promised to restore "order, authority and freedom" to the South American nation.
