Colombia's new president Esprjelja takes office, pledges to fight narco-terrorism
Colombia's newly elected right-wing president Abelardo de la Esprjelja has been sworn in, promising to restore order and eradicate narco-terrorists. His election victory was also welcomed in the United States.
Colombia's newly elected president, Abelardo de la Esprjelja, representing right-wing political forces, has officially taken office. He won June's second-round runoff by a narrow margin of votes against the outgoing head of state, leftist politician Gustavo Petro.
Inauguration pledges
In his inaugural address, the new president promised to restore order in the country and eradicate narco-terrorists — an issue that has plagued Colombia for decades and continues to pose serious security challenges for the nation.
Reaction from the US
Esprjelja's election victory was also positively received in the United States, suggesting possible shifts in relations between Washington and Bogotá following the inauguration of the new, right-leaning president. Relations between the two countries were not always smooth during the tenure of the previous, leftist president Gustavo Petro.
The narrow margin of the new president's victory indicates that Colombian society remains nearly evenly split politically, meaning the new head of state will need to find ways to unite different segments of society while implementing his promised changes to security policy.
