The World · Saturday, 8 August 2026
De la Espriella sworn in at Cali and declares dialogue with armed groups exhausted
Right-wing lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella, 48, took the presidential oath on Friday in Cali rather than the capital Bogotá, a city that has long borne the brunt of the state's conflict with armed groups. He said the option of dialogue was completely exhausted and pledged to relentlessly defeat narco-terrorism, a break with the negotiated peace pursued by Gustavo Petro, whom he beat in June's run-off. He also called for responsible and sustainable fracking and said he would strengthen the state oil company Ecopetrol.