New Colombian president, who has pledged to restore ties with Israel, takes office

Abelardo de la Espriella was sworn in as Colombia's new conservative president on Friday in Cali, breaking tradition to signal a hard-line stance against illegal armed groups. De la Espriella, who financed his campaign as an outsider, pledged to tackle violence by abandoning his predecessor's negotiation policies and declared groups must surrender or become "military targets."

His rise to power will reinforce this rightward shift across much of Latin America and consolidate a regional bloc of conservative governments against a dwindling number of left-wing administrations,

said Glaeldys González, an analyst with the International Crisis Group. He also announced the restoration of diplomatic ties with Israel, severed by the previous administration, and the relocation of Colombia's embassy to Jerusalem, a decision praised by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, who stated, "You have laid a brick in the walls of Jerusalem." The new administration also agreed to renew coal shipments to Israel and withdraw from South Africa's ICJ case against Israel. De la Espriella faces robust opposition from former President Gustavo Petro, who has urged supporters to organize "people's militias" and prepare for a general strike, increasing the likelihood of confrontations.