Colombia's new President Abelardo de la Espriella rides in a military vehicle while reviewing troops during a change-of-command ceremony at the Pichincha Battalion following his inauguration in Cali, Colombia, on August 7, 2026. [AFP]
Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella vowed to restore order and eradicate "narco-terrorists" in a fiery first speech as leader on Friday.
The US-backed millionaire flew by helicopter to address soldiers in a military garrison after his inauguration in the southwestern city of Cali.
His mandate marks a sharp turn right for the Andean nation, with the 48-year-old keen to cozy up to Washington and come down hard on Colombia's patchwork of armed groups.
"There will be no room for maneuvers that undermine the stability of the nation," the president, who adopted a stiff military salute on the campaign trail, told hundreds of soldiers.
He pledged to "relentlessly defeat narco-terrorism," adding that "the option of dialogue is completely exhausted" -- a reference to the former administration's spluttering peace talks with guerrillas.
The first thing on his to-do list, he said, was to join US President Donald Trump's regional anti-cartel alliance known as Shield of the Americas.
The US leader now has an eager ally in Bogota, and the feeling appeared to be mutual late Friday, when the US State Department issued a release saying the Trump administration intends to work with Congress to announce "$1 billion in assistance as part of a security package to support" the new administration.