Colombia: Abelardo de la Esperanza Sworn In as President

Cali, Colombia: Lawyer and political newcomer Abelardo de la Esperanza was sworn in as Colombia’s president on Friday during a ceremony held in the southwestern city of Cali.
The inauguration took place at Arena USC inside the Universidad Santiago de Cali rather than at Bogotá’s historic Plaza de Bolívar, where presidential inaugurations have traditionally been held for more than a century.
The ceremony marked a sharp ideological shift for Colombia as De la Esperanza succeeded outgoing President Gustavo Petro, whose four-year term ended amid economic difficulties and political tensions.
De la Esperanza had initially proposed holding the ceremony at a military installation to honor the country’s armed forces. Petro strongly opposed the plan, arguing that military bases should not host political inaugurations while he remained commander in chief.
Following congressional approval to relocate the ceremony, De la Esperanza selected Cali, the capital of Valle del Cauca. His administration presented the decision as a signal of its commitment to regional security and a more decentralized approach to governance.
Shortly after taking the oath, De la Esperanza made his first official visit as president to the Marco Fidel Suárez Air Force Base in Cali, a move viewed as a gesture toward the armed forces.
The inauguration drew conservative leaders and senior representatives from the Americas and Europe. Attendees reportedly included Spain’s King Felipe VI, Argentine President Javier Milei, Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa, Paraguayan President Santiago Peña, Costa Rica’s president-elect Laura Fernández, Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, Dominican President Luis Abinader and Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche.
Former President Gustavo Petro did not attend the ceremony. Lawmakers from his political alliance, Pacto Histórico, also boycotted the event, while demonstrations were reported in Cali and other major Colombian cities.