De la Espriella Inaugurated as Colombia's President, Signals End of 'Total Peace' Policy

August 7-8, 2026 — Abelardo de la Espriella was sworn in as Colombia's 36th president in Cali, breaking with the traditional Bogotá inauguration in a symbolic rejection of President Petro's negotiated-peace approach. He vowed an 'iron fist' crackdown on armed groups including the ELN and FARC dissidents. The Ideas for Peace Foundation had criticized Total Peace ceasefires for lacking verifiable disarmament terms and clear geographic limits, arguing they let armed groups expand territory during the truce period — a critique the incoming administration cited in moving toward a militarized approach.