Abelardo de la Espriella Inaugurated as President of Colombia in Cali

Abelardo de la Espriella was inaugurated as the 61st president of Colombia on August 7, 2026, in a ceremony held at the Universidad Santiago de Cali. This event marked the first presidential investiture in Colombian history to take place outside of Bogotá, a move De la Espriella presented as a commitment to the decentralization of power. De la Espriella, a criminal lawyer and leader of the Defensores de la Patria movement, won the presidency with 12,960,000 votes, defeating candidate Iván Cepeda in the second round of voting on June 21.

The inauguration drew a significant international delegation, including King Felipe VI of Spain, Argentine President Javier Milei, Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa, Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, and Chilean President José Antonio Kast. President Milei, who has maintained a close relationship with De la Espriella since the campaign, met with the new president and Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar prior to the ceremony. President Mulino of Panama also held bilateral meetings to discuss security, trade, and electrical interconnection. Additionally, FIFA President Gianni Infantino and CONMEBOL chief Alejandro Domínguez attended the event.

One of the first major policy shifts announced by the new administration is a total restoration of diplomatic ties with Israel. Vice President José Manuel Restrepo announced that the government will open an embassy in Jerusalem and establish a Binational Economic Commission to foster innovation and investment. This represents a sharp reversal from the previous administration of Gustavo Petro, which had broken diplomatic relations with Israel and vetoed coal exports to the country in protest of the offensive in Gaza.

Domestic reactions to the transition have been polarized. Former senator Gustavo Bol’ar suggested that the end of the Petro government would lead to the approval of stalled judicial and legislative decisions, including pension and tax reforms. Meanwhile, sports figures such as Faustino Asprilla expressed support for the new president, stating that the party is over regarding the previous administration.