Abelardo de la Espriella, a 47-year-old lawyer, is the President-elect of Colombia.
De la Espriella intends to be sworn in with the presidential sash at a military garrison. This location is one of the most heavily contested regions in Colombia. Both chambers of the Colombian Parliament have approved the plan for the inauguration to take place at the garrison.
The outgoing President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, does not support the plan for the inauguration to be held at a military garrison.
Proposed security and foreign policy shifts
De la Espriella has announced that armed actors will be bombed and stated that the use of chemical agents is not excluded. His future government may rely on support from the United States and consultancy from Israel.
Concerns over human rights and reforms
Camilo González Posso, President of the Instituto para el Desarrollo y la Paz (INDEPAZ), stated that De la Espriella's agenda sounds like a journey back to the era of 'Plan Colombia.' He expressed fears that the President-elect intends to completely undo the reform work of the current Pacto Histórico government and Gustavo Petro.
González Posso also described a scenario involving several hundred military advisors coming to Colombia in exchange for the Colombian Embassy moving to Jerusalem, similar to other friendly nations of Israel.
Nini Daza, an elected representative of the Regional Indigenous Council in Cauca (CRIC), expressed fears regarding an increase in the recruitment of minors for the military, alongside potential human rights violations and attacks on representatives.
Oveimar Tenorio, coordinator of the Guardia Indígena, reported an increase in attacks on members of the Guardia Indígena in recent months.
The Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) is tasked with processing and punishing human rights violations that occurred during the conflict between the FARC and the army.
Military infrastructure
The Batallón Paraíso, a military complex currently under construction in Colombia, involves 400 mobilized workers. Colombian media, including El Cronista, have referred to the Batallón Paraíso complex as a 'tropical White House.'
Workers mobilized for the construction of the Batallón Paraíso military complex.
