Colombia’s new president pledges armed-group crackdown as US plans $1 billion aid package

Abelardo de la Espriella was sworn in as Colombia’s president on August 7, 2026, promising a tougher campaign against armed groups and drug trafficking as the United States announced plans for a $1 billion security-assistance package.

De la Espriella, 48, took office at a military base in Cali after narrowly winning a June runoff. He succeeds Gustavo Petro and marks a rightward shift in Colombia’s national government.

In his inaugural address, the new president said members of criminal and armed groups should submit to the law or face a state security response. He said the option of peace talks with armed groups had been exhausted and pledged action against illicit coca cultivation, including aerial herbicides he said would not harm people or the environment.

The US State Department said it intended to work with Congress on $1 billion in assistance to support shared security goals. The announcement signals a rapid effort to strengthen relations between Washington and the incoming administration, but the funding still depends on the US legislative process.

De la Espriella also campaigned on reducing the size of the state, reviving oil and gas activity and restoring confidence in the economy. Many proposals will require support in Colombia’s divided Congress.

His leftist runoff opponent, Senator Iván Cepeda, led a demonstration in Barranquilla on inauguration day and called for peaceful civil disobedience. Petro has not recognized De la Espriella’s victory, adding political tension as the new government begins work.