De la Espriella inaugurated as Colombia’s leader, pledges to combat armed groups

Abelardo de la Espriella has been inaugurated as Colombia’s president, succeeding leftist Gustavo Petro and marking a shift towards right-wing governance in Latin America. De la Espriella, a lawyer and political outsider, aims to combat armed groups, reduce government spending, and revive the oil and gas sector. He rejects Petro’s peace negotiations and plans to join the US-backed “Shield of the Americas” against drug trafficking. Protests erupted in major cities on his inauguration day, reflecting division over his election.

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