Colombia's new President Abelardo de la Espriella (C) delivers a speech at the Pichincha Battalion after swearing in, in Cali, Colombia, on August 7, 2026 | AFP
Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella vowed to restore order and eradicate “narco-terrorists” in a fiery first speech as leader on Friday.
The US-backed millionaire flew by helicopter to address soldiers in a military garrison after his inauguration in the southwestern city of Cali.
His mandate marks a sharp turn right for the Andean nation, with the 48-year-old keen to cozy up to Washington and come down hard on Colombia’s patchwork of armed groups.
“There will be no room for maneuvers that undermine the stability of the nation,” the president, who adopted a stiff military salute on the campaign trail, told hundreds of soldiers.
