Inauguration of Abelardo de la Espriella

Presidential inauguration of
Abelardo de la Espriella
DateAugust 7, 2026 (2026-08-07)
Time3:00 pm (COT)
Location
ParticipantsAbelardo de la Espriella
36th president of Colombia
— Assuming office
José Manuel Restrepo
14th vice president of Colombia
— Assuming office
Honorio Henríquez
President of the Senate
— Administering oath
Gustavo Petro
35th president of Colombia
— Leaving office
Francia Márquez
13th vice president of Colombia
— Leaving office

Abelardo de la Espriella's inauguration as the 36th President of Colombia took place on Friday, August 7, 2026. It was the 40th Colombian presidential inauguration marking the beginning of his four-year term as president and José Manuel Restrepo as vice president.[1][2][3] The ceremony was held in the Auditorium of the Santiago de Cali University in Cali, Valle del Cauca.

This was the third presidential inauguration held outside the National Capitol in Bogotá, D.C.. The last time was the presidential inauguration of Manuel Antonio Sanclemente in 1898 in Villeta, Cundinamarca.[4]

Context

The ceremony marked the end of the presidential transition period for Abelardo de la Espriella, who became president-elect after defeating the candidate of the Historic Pact, Iván Cepeda, on June 21, 2026.[5][6] The victory of De La Espriella and his running mate, José Manuel Restrepo, was confirmed by the National Electoral Council, which later issued the official certification on June 25, 2026, formalizing the election.[7][8][9][10]

The election saw the highest voter turnout in the history of Colombian presidential elections. De La Espriella will become the second president from Córdoba, after Gustavo Petro (his predecessor). José Manuel Restrepo becomes the second Rector of the Universidad del Rosario to become vice president; the last was José Manuel Marroquín (1898-1900).

Planning

Following De La Espriella's election as president in the 2026 presidential election, rumors began circulating about the location of his presidential inauguration. During his presidential campaign, he had announced that it would take place at a garrison in Popayán, Cauca.[11][12][13] This was later confirmed by De La Espriella himself but subsequently rejected by President Gustavo Petro. Constitutional experts argued that it was erroneous and even unconstitutional for De La Espriella to be sworn in at a military garrison.[14][15][16] Senator Agmeth Escaf explained, The President of the Republic is sworn in before Congress, not before an armed force, not by a rank; he is sworn in as a civilian to a government position.

On July 22, the Senate, and subsequently the Chamber of Representatives on July 28, approved that his inauguration would be held in Popayán, Cauca, without specifying a garrison. President Gustavo Petro subsequently issued strict orders to the Military Forces of Colombia not to lend any military installations for the inauguration.[17][18][19][20] Petro would later state, The president obeys the people, not the military. On Wednesday, July 29, Congress unanimously ratified the decision to move the inauguration to Cali.[21] The vote was 58 in favor and 30 against.

Subsequently, the inauguration ceremony would be moved to the Arena USC of the Santiago de Cali University in Cali, Cauca Valley.[22][23][24][25]

Attendees

De La Espriella's inauguration was attended by several foreign leaders. Among them were;

Former presidents César Gaviria, Andrés Pastrana, Álvaro Uribe, and Iván Duque attended the inauguration. Former first ladies Ana Milena Muñoz de Gaviria and María Juliana Ruiz also attended the inauguration, but former first ladies Nohra Puyana de Pastrana and Lina Moreno de Uribe was absent.[26] Outgoing president Gustavo Petro and former presidents Ernesto Samper and Juan Manuel Santos were absent.[27][28] Former vice president Marta Lucía Ramírez, former second gentleman Álvaro Rincón and former second lady Martha Blanco de Lemos attended. Former vice presidents Humberto de la Calle, Gustavo Bell, Francisco Santos, Angelino Garzón, and Óscar Naranjo were absent.

Several world leaders attended, including, Argentine President Javier Milei, Karina Milei,[29][30] Chilean President José Antonio Kast, First lady Pía Adriasola,[31][32] Prime Minister of Curaçao Gilmar Pisas, Dominican President Luis Abinader,[33][34] Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa, First lady Lavinia Valbonesi,[35][36] Honduran President Nasry Asfura,[37][38] Paraguayan President Santiago Peña, First lady Leticia Ocampos,[39][40] Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino[41][42] and Spanish King Felipe VI.[43][44] Representatives of heads of state were also present, including, Guatemalan Vice President Karin Herrera[45][46], Salvadoran Vice President Félix Ulloa[47][48], Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar[49][50], Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard, Peruvian Foreign Minister Carlos Espá, Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita, US Attorney General Todd Blanche. The ceremony was also attended by other public figures, such as Gianni Infantino, Maria Corina Machado and Silvia Tcherassi.

The ceremony set a record with the largest number of regional leaders included: Governor of Atlántico Eduardo Verano de la Rosa, Governor of Antioquia Andrés Julián Rendón, Mayor of Barranquilla Alejandro Char, Governor of Cauca Valley Dilian Francisca Toro, Governor of Córdoba Erasmo Zuleta, Governor of Sucre Lucy Inés García Mayor of Cali Alejandro Eder, First lady Taliana Vargas, Mayor of Bogotá Carlos Fernando Galán, First lady Carolina Deik, Mayor of Medellín Federico Gutiérrez and First lady Margarita Gómez.

Ceremony

The ceremony followed the following order in the schedule of events on August 7, 2026.

Event Time Location Description Ref.
Swearing-In Ceremony 4:00 p.m. ET Santiago de Cali University Auditorium During the swearing-in ceremony, the president-elect and vice president-elect took the oaths of office.
Interreligious Discourse 5:00 p.m. ET Santiago de Cali University Auditorium Following the oath ceremony, the ceremony included a recitation of messages from Judaism, Catholicism and Evangelicalism, followed by a musical performance by Maía to the Virgin Mary.
Review of the Military Forces 6:00 p.m. ET Pichincha Battalion After the inaugural speech at the Pichinca Battalion, the president reviewed the military forces that formed the processional escort, among which were the generals of the National Army, Aerospace Force, National Navy, National Police, the General of the Military Forces and the General of the Joint Command.

Oaths of office

Senate President Honorio Henríquez administered the presidential oath of office to President Abelardo de la Espriella. It was the first time the president received a military baton. This is neither regulated nor a tradition or obligation; presidents do not have a baton to represent their command as commander-in-chief of the armed forces. President Abelardo de la Espriella then administered the vicepresidential oath of office to Vice President José Manuel Restrepo.

Boycott

Several members of the Historic Pact Party at the 10th Congress decided to boycott the inauguration.[51][52] This boycott was perceived as an initial show of opposition to the incoming administration and its policies.[53]

Several reasons were given for the boycott, including the increased cost of the inauguration, which cost twice as much as the previous presidential inauguration. As of July 27, the following is a list of the members of Congress who publicly stated they would not attend the inauguration.

  • Carolina Corcho
  • Pedro Flórez
  • Patricia Caicedo
  • Wilson Arias
  • Laura Ahumada
  • Walter Rodríguez
  • Ferney Silva
  • Esmeralda Hernández
  • Alberto Benavides
  • Sandra Chindoy
  • María Eugenia Londoño
  • Alex Flórez
  • Kamelia Zuluaga
  • Agmeth Escaf
  • Yaini Isabel Contreras
  • Isabel Zuleta
  • Martín Carabalí
  • Johana Osorio
  • David Racero
  • Aída Avella
  • Mary Jurado
  • Miguel De La Hoz García
  • Kevin Gómez
  • Alejandro Ocampo
  • Deyci Omaña

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Abelardo De la Espriella: cuándo asume la presidencia de Colombia 2026". El Clarín. June 22, 2026. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  2. ↑ Lorduy, Johana (June 22, 2026). "¿Cuándo se posicionará Aberlardo De La Espriella como nuevo presidente de la república?". Portafolio. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  3. ↑ "¿Cuándo se posesiona el nuevo presidente de Colombia en 2026?". El Espectador. June 21, 2026. Retrieved June 23, 2026.
  4. ↑ Hernández Bonilla, Juan Miguel (July 28, 2026). "La Cámara de Representantes aprueba hacer en Cali la posesión presidencial de Abelardo de la Espriella". El País. Retrieved July 26, 2026.
  5. ↑ Torres, Jhon (June 21, 2026). "Abelardo De la Espriella, presidente electo de Colombia tras el preconteo: se impone por 250.830 votos". El Tiempo. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
  6. ↑ Hernández Bonilla, Juan Miguel (June 21, 2026). "Las cifras que explican la apretada victoria de Abelardo De la Espriella en el preconteo". El País. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
  7. ↑ "CNE hizo entrega de las credenciales a Abelardo de la Espriella y José Manuel Restrepo". El Espectador. June 25, 2026. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
  8. ↑ López Romero, Yeison Andrés (June 25, 2026). "Abelardo de la Espriella recibió la credencial como presidente electo de Colombia y luego irá a la Corte Constitucional". Infobae. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
  9. ↑ Carmona Barrero, Andrés Felipe (June 26, 2026). "Así se vivió tras bastidores la acreditación de Abelardo como presidente electo". El Colombiano. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
  10. ↑ González, Patricia (June 25, 2026). "Abelardo De La Espriella recibe credencial del CNE y oficialmente es el presidente de Colombia". Bluradio. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
  11. ↑ "Abelardo de la Espriella revela dónde sería su posesión presidencial y si viviría en la Casa de Nariño". Semana. May 27, 2026. Retrieved June 6, 2026.
  12. ↑ Quevedo Socha, Norman Andrés (June 21, 2026). "Abelardo de La Espriella se posesionará en una guarnición militar frente a las fuerzas militares". La FM. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  13. ↑ Erazo Córdoba, Jhon Warles (June 7, 2026). "Abelardo de la Espriella o Iván Cepeda: esta es la fecha en que se posesionaría el próximo presidente". El País. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
  14. ↑ Uprimny Yepes, Rodrigo (July 16, 2026). "¿Poseción presidencial en guarnición militar?". Dejusticia. Retrieved July 15, 2026.
  15. ↑ Valencia Rios, Brian Ferney (July 10, 2026). "¿Puede Abelardo de la Espriella posesionarse en una guarnición militar? Esto dice la ley". El Colombiano. Retrieved July 13, 2026.
  16. ↑ Bernal Largo, Santiago (July 29, 2026). "Preguntas y respuestas sobre la posesión de Abelardo De la Espriella". La Silla Vacía. Retrieved July 31, 2026.
  17. ↑ Jaramillo Palacio, Carlos (July 13, 2026). "Gustavo Petro prohíbe usar instalaciones militares para la posesión del nuevo presidente". La República. Retrieved July 15, 2026.
  18. ↑ Cote Lozano, Jhoan Sebastian (July 14, 2026). "¿Gustavo Petro puede negarse a prestar guarniciones militares para la posesión presidencial de Abelardo de la Espriella? Esto dicen los expertos". El Tiempo. Retrieved July 16, 2026.
  19. ↑ Salazar, Carol (July 24, 2026). "Petro ordenó a las guarniciones militares no alistar "ni una sola silla" para la posesión de Abelardo de la Espriella: "No doy permiso"". Infobae. Retrieved July 26, 2026.
  20. ↑ Jaramillo Bernat, Emma (July 13, 2026). "Petro prohíbe el uso de cualquier cuartel para la posesión de De la Espriella". El País. Retrieved July 15, 2026.
  21. ↑ "Cámara aprueba traslado a Cali para posesión de Abelardo de la Espriella". RCN Noticias. July 28, 2026. Retrieved July 29, 2026.
  22. ↑ Duarte, Laura Daniela (July 29, 2026). "Posesión de Abelardo de la Espriella en el Arena USC de Cali: hora confirmada y otros detalles". Caracol Radio. Retrieved July 29, 2026.
  23. ↑ "Senado aprobó que la posesión de Abelardo de la Espriella sea en Cali y no en una guarnición militar". El Colombiano. July 29, 2026. Retrieved July 31, 2026.
  24. ↑ "Posesión de Abelardo de la Espriella: lista de presidentes y líderes internacionales que asistirán". Cambio. July 31, 2026. Retrieved July 31, 2026.
  25. ↑ "Senado aprobó oficialmente la posesión presidencial de Abelardo De La Espriella en Cali". El Tiempo. July 29, 2026. Retrieved July 31, 2026.
  26. ↑ Jerez, Daniel (August 3, 2026). "¿Qué expresidentes irían a la posesión de Abelardo De La Espriella en Cali?". La FM. Retrieved August 7, 2026.
  27. ↑ Duque, Tatiana (August 3, 2026). "Ernesto Samper confirmó que no fue invitado a la posesión de Abelardo". La Silla Vacía. Retrieved August 7, 2026.
  28. ↑ Ramírez, Fabián (August 3, 2026). "Drástica decisión de De la Espriella con dos expresidentes: los dejó viendo un chispero". Pulzo. Retrieved August 7, 2026.
  29. ↑ "Milei llegó a Cali para la posesión de De La Espriella: esta es la agenda que tendrá el mandatario argentino". Vanguardia. August 7, 2026. Retrieved August 7, 2026.
  30. ↑ "Asunción de De la Espriella y el presidente Javier Milei de invitado: Colombia hacia la ultraderecha pro-israelí". Urgente 24. August 7, 2026. Retrieved August 7, 2026.
  31. ↑ Mora, Helen; Latorre, Rocío (August 7, 2026). "Presidente Kast inicia visita a Colombia para asistir a la asunción de Abelardo de la Espriella". La Tercera. Retrieved August 7, 2026.
  32. ↑ "En reunión en Cali, Abelardo De la Espriella habló con el presidente de Chile sobre cooperación en seguridad". EFE. El Heraldo. August 7, 2026. Retrieved August 7, 2026.
  33. ↑ "Presidente de República Dominicana llega a Cali para acudir a posesión de De la Espriella". Infobae. August 7, 2026. Retrieved August 7, 2026.
  34. ↑ "Presidente de República Dominicana arribó a Cali para la posesión de Abelardo De la Espriella". EFE. El Heraldo. August 7, 2026. Retrieved August 7, 2026.
  35. ↑ "Daniel Noboa, presidente de Ecuador, habla con De la Espriella sobre seguridad fronteriza, comercio y energía". EFE. La Patria. August 7, 2026. Retrieved August 7, 2026.
  36. ↑ "Daniel Noboa llega a Cali para la posesión de Abelardo de la Espriella como presidente de Colombia". El Telégrafo. August 7, 2026. Retrieved August 7, 2026.
  37. ↑ "Nasry Asfura llega a Cali para asistir a la investidura del presidente electo de Colombia, Abelardo de la Espriella". Infobae. August 7, 2026. Retrieved August 7, 2026.
  38. ↑ "Milei y el presidente de Honduras ya están en Cali para la posesión de De la Espriella". El Nuevo Siglo. August 7, 2026. Retrieved August 7, 2026.
  39. ↑ "El presidente de Paraguay viaja a Colombia para asistir a investidura de De la Espriella". EFE. Eje 21. August 7, 2026. Retrieved August 7, 2026.
  40. ↑ Rodríguez Angel, Isabella (August 7, 2026). "Santiago Peña confirma su asistencia a la posesión presidencial en Colombia". La República. Retrieved July 26, 2026.
  41. ↑ "Presidente de Panamá ofreció fortalecer cooperación con Colombia antes de posesión De la Espriella". EFE. Caracol Radio. August 7, 2026. Retrieved August 7, 2026.
  42. ↑ "José Raúl Mulino llegó a Cali para la posesión presidencial de Abelardo De La Espriella y le envió un mensaje: "A su disposición"". Semana. August 7, 2026. Retrieved August 7, 2026.
  43. ↑ Niño, Luciano (August 7, 2026). "Rey Felipe VI de España llegó a Colombia para asistir a la posesión presidencial de Abelardo de la Espriella en Cali". Infobae. Retrieved August 7, 2026.
  44. ↑ "El Rey, recibido con honores a su llegada a Cali para la toma de posesión de Abelardo de la Espriella". EFE. El Mundo. August 7, 2026. Retrieved August 7, 2026.
  45. ↑ Monzón, Kenneth (August 7, 2026). "Karin Herrera envía saludo desde Colombia". PubliNews. Retrieved August 7, 2026.
  46. ↑ Alonzo, Cindy (August 7, 2026). "Vicepresidenta Karin Herrera asistirá a la toma de posesión del presidente electo de Colombia". Agencia Guatemalteca de Noticias. Retrieved August 7, 2026.
  47. ↑ Cerón, José (August 5, 2026). "Vicepresidente de El Salvador llega a Colombia previo a la investidura de Abelardo de la Espriella". Infobae. Retrieved August 7, 2026.
  48. ↑ Bejarano Zorrilla, Fernando José (August 5, 2026). "Vicepresidente de El Salvador llega a Cali para posesión de Abelardo de la Espriella: "Nos sentimos en casa"". El País. Retrieved August 7, 2026.
  49. ↑ "Canciller de Israel asistirá a la posesión de Abelardo de la Espriella en Colombia: se espera la reanudación de relaciones diplomáticas". Agence France-Presse. NTN 24. August 5, 2026. Retrieved August 7, 2026.
  50. ↑ "Israel confirma presencia en investidura de Abelardo de la Espriella: canciller Saar viaja a Ecuador y Colombia". Agence France-Presse. La FM. August 5, 2026. Retrieved August 7, 2026.
  51. ↑ Ceballos, Paula (August 6, 2026). "Lista de congresistas que no asistirán a la posesión de Abelardo De la Espriella este 7 de agosto". La FM. Retrieved August 6, 2026.
  52. ↑ Cifuentes Quintero, Santiago (August 6, 2026). "El Pacto Histórico explicó con carta al presidente del Congreso por qué no asistirán a la posesión presidencial de Abelardo de la Espriella: "Acompañaremos a la ciudadanía"". Infobae. Retrieved August 6, 2026.
  53. ↑ García Agudelo, Mateo (July 28, 2026). "Daniel Briceño pide que los congresistas que no vayan a la posesión presidencial renuncien al día de salario: 'Están en su derecho'". El Tiempo. Retrieved August 6, 2026.
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.