President Abelardo De la Espriella Implements Major Policy Shifts in First Month

President Abelardo De la Espriella has spent his first month in office dismantling the peace and security policies of the previous administration while delegating significant economic and diplomatic authority to Vice President José Manuel Restrepo. Through resolutions 390 and 391 of 2026, the president revoked the designations of government representatives in peace talks with the ELN and the Clan del Golfo. He also ended the Temporary Location Zone for Farc dissidents in Putumayo and ordered the transfer of over 100 criminal leaders to maximum security prisons. These actions align with a security strategy described as mano dura, which emphasizes submission or force over dialogue.

In a separate administrative move, Decree 1373 granted Vice President Restrepo coordination powers over economic policy, strategic international insertion, and state simplification. Restrepo is now tasked with managing strategic resources, energy security, and the goal of reducing the size of the state by 40 percent. He is also leading the government's diplomatic efforts to integrate Colombia into global value chains, including coordinating the country's presence at the UN General Assembly.

Despite these shifts, reports on the government's administrative efficiency vary. One analysis found that while De la Espriella signed 163 decrees in his first 30 days, which is the highest volume for a first month in 24 years, the vast majority were for appointments rather than public policy. Only six decrees addressed a recent earthquake disaster, and zero were dedicated to the broad public policy reforms promised during the campaign. Several draft decrees remain unsigned, including one to lift restrictions on carrying weapons and another to repeal Petro era bans on thermal coal exports to Israel.