Millionaire lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella promised Friday, upon taking office president of Colombiathat he would confront drug trafficking “without respite”, in a country hit by the violence of armed groups.
This 48-year-old political novice, ally of American President Donald Trump and with American nationality, succeeds the first left-wing president in history, Gustavo Petro, for a four-year term. A turning point for the country, which should bury the peace negotiations with the armed groups led by Petro and can already count on the support of Washington with aid of a billion $ announced from the first hours of the mandate of the new head of state.
During his first speech as president, in a barracks in front of several hundred uniformed soldiers, armored vehicles and two helicopters in Cali (southwest), this representative of the hard right promised to restore “order” and “authority”.
Elected on June 21 on a speech of firmness against guerrillas and cocaine trafficking, of which Colombia is the world’s leading producer, the president of Espriella vowed to fight “without respite narcoterrorism and all criminal organizations.”
“Exhausted” dialogue
“The option of dialogue” pursued by Gustavo Petro “is completely exhausted,” he said, leaving two options to members of illegal groups: “submit” to the law or “confront the resolute force of the State.” The man who calls himself “El Tigre” also affirmed that he would eradicate coca plantations, an ingredient used in the manufacture of cocaine, “by all means” and would authorize the exploitation of oil and gas by hydraulic fracturing. He also said he wanted to publish a decree to “freeze public spending”, lower taxes for the richest and lead the “cultural battle to restore the value of the family”.
Abelardo de la Espriella chose to take the oath not in the capital Bogota as is customary, but in the country’s third city, recently marked by attacks claimed by guerrillas. Cali is near territories controlled by armed groups behind the worst wave of violence the South American country has seen in a decade.
For this day, the city was placed under high protection, with the deployment of 11,000 soldiers and the establishment of an anti-drone system to protect the guests, mainly leaders of the Latin American right. Around ten heads of state, including those of Argentina, Chile and Ecuador, representatives of the White House led by the Attorney General of the United States, as well as the King of Spain Felipe VI, notably attended the event, which was also attended by the FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
Gustavo Petro, who declined to participate in the ceremony, left the presidential residence on Friday. Left-wing supporters demonstrated peacefully in major cities after losing the election by the narrowest margin in history, less than 1%.
No majority in Parliament
A well-known lawyer, Abelardo de la Espriella burst into the campaign and quickly won support with his spectacular rallies and speeches delivered behind armored glass, punctuated by a military salute in tribute to the police.
One of his government’s first acts, Mr. de la Espriella said, will be to join the Shield of the Americas, the alliance of countries led by Trump to fight drug trafficking. Announcing Friday evening a billion $ in aid for the new president’s security policies and economy, the US State Department looked forward in a statement “to the idea of working in close cooperation with the new administration to guarantee the security and prosperity of the United States, Colombia and our hemisphere.”
Deprived of a majority in a divided Parliament, the new president promised to intensify the bombings against the guerrilla camps with the support of Israel and the United States, or to build mega prisons like in El Salvador to fight against crime. But he inherits armed forces faced with a “limited capacity” in number of men and a “lack of equipment”, notes Renata Segura, of International Crisis Group.
The expert is concerned about possible “collateral damage” affecting civilians if heavy artillery is deployed against armed groups “very rooted in the communities”. “It is, in my opinion, an act of provocation,” said Julian Martinez, a 38-year-old lawyer and former soldier in Cali. Armed groups may think ‘Let’s see who is the bravest and strongest’.
