US pledges $1 billion to Colombia as new president takes office

The U.S. State Department planned late Friday to provide $1 billion in security assistance to Colombia as Abelardo de la Espriella was sworn in as president in Cali. De la Espriella used his first speech to promise a hard line against armed groups and drug trafficking.

De la Espriella took the oath of office in Colombia’s third-largest city rather than in Bogotá. Colombia’s government had warned of a terrorism threat at the event, and the ceremony drew expected attendance from the leaders of Argentina, Paraguay, Chile and Ecuador, along with Spain’s King Felipe VI.

In his speech in Cali, de la Espriella vowed to “defeat narco-terrorists.” He also pledged a robust fight against crime and fiscal austerity, setting out an agenda that won him June’s runoff election on promises to crack down on armed groups, shrink the state by as much as 40 percent and revive Colombia’s oil and gas sector.

De la Espriella wants to strengthen state-owned Ecopetrol and shore up the electricity system, a sharp departure from the approach of former president Gustavo Petro. Before taking office, he had already signaled that his government would reverse parts of Petro’s energy policy, including a tougher stance toward fossil fuels.

The U.S. pledge backs a new Colombian administration that is openly aligned with Trump. Narcotics and security remain the formal justification for U.S. engagement.

De la Espriella’s promise to shrink the state by 40 percent points toward tighter public spending and a leaner government, while his oil and gas plan could bring more investment to the energy sector and more conflict over environmental priorities. His emphasis on armed groups and drug trafficking returns security to the center of his agenda.