Abelardo de la Espriella Sworn in as President of Colombia

Abelardo de la Espriella was sworn in as the president of Colombia in a ceremony held in the western city of Cali. The event was attended by several regional leaders, including Argentine President Javier Milei, Chilean President Jose Antonio Kast, and Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa, as reported by TASS.

De la Espriella secured victory in the presidential runoff on June 21, receiving 49.6% of the vote. Following the inauguration, the US Department of State announced that Washington would provide $1 billion in assistance to support the new Colombian administration. The statement read: "The United States, working with Congress, intends to announce $1 billion in assistance as part of a security package to support President de la Espriella’s Administration in achieving our shared goals." The funds are intended to combat organized crime and drug trafficking in the Western Hemisphere, with additional allocations for economic development, trade, and mining.

In his inaugural speech, de la Espriella announced that one of his first executive orders would be to sign the act to join the Shield of the Americas, a US-created alliance. He described the initiative as allowing countries to "join forces, exchange strategic information, and step up joint measures by free countries against threats that affect national and regional security." He emphasized that Colombia, like other nations, "is unable to defeat transnational criminal organizations on its own."

De la Espriella also pledged that his administration would "strengthen relations with all countries in the world on the basis of mutual respect." The ceremony marked a significant political transition for Colombia, with the new president outlining priorities of security cooperation and international alliances.

According to Mehr News Agency (MNA), the report detailed these developments, including the attendance of regional leaders and the US aid package.