De la Espriella, who has never held public office before, ran as an outsider, financing his campaign with the fortune he amassed as a lawyer and businessman. A soldier keeps watch from the turret of an armored vehicle ahead of the inauguration of President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella in Cali, Colombia, Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026. After the ceremony, de la Espriella plans to travel to a military battalion in Cali to address the troops. He aims to boost the morale of the service members and simultaneously warn the illegal armed groups operating in the area that they must surrender or face being declared “military targets.” Francesca kisses her father, Colombia's President Abelardo de la Espriella, after he took the oath of office in Cali, Colombia, Friday, Aug. 7, 2026.