Conservative Abelardo de la Espriella was sworn in as Colombia's president on Friday in an inauguration ceremony held in the southwestern city of Cali, succeeding leftist Gustavo Petro. The unusual venue choice came as social and student organizations protested in the city, where Petro retains a large following, and around 11,000 soldiers were deployed to secure the area.
De la Espriella, 48, won the June 21 runoff election narrowly against leftist Senator Iván Cepeda. Outgoing President Petro skipped the ceremony, having earlier urged social movements to organize "people's militias." Among the dignitaries attending were Spain's King Felipe VI, acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche, FIFA President Gianni Infantino, and Argentina's Javier Milei.
The new president plans to crack down on drug trafficking and coca cultivation and has pledged to cut the public sector by 40 percent. De la Espriella, backed by U.S. President Donald Trump, announced he will resume diplomatic ties with Israel while severing them with Cuba and Nicaragua.