King Felipe VI travels to Colombia for President De la Espriella's inauguration

King Felipe VI of Spain is set to travel to Cali, Colombia, this Thursday to witness the presidential inauguration of Abelardo de la Espriella. The Spanish monarch, departing from Palma, will be accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares. They are scheduled to arrive at Alfonso Bonilla Aragón Airport in Cali on Friday.

Upon arrival, Felipe VI will hold a meeting with the president-elect, De la Espriella, at the Cali Cultural Center. The inauguration ceremony itself is slated to commence at 3:00 PM local time (8:00 PM GMT) at the Arena USC in Cali. The King is expected to return to Spain immediately after the event concludes.

This marks the sixth occasion that Felipe VI has attended the inauguration of a Colombian president. His previous attendances include Gustavo Petro's in 2022, and prior to that, Juan Manuel Santos Calderón (2010), Álvaro Uribe Vélez (2006 and 2002), and Andrés Pastrana (1998), during which time he was the Prince of Asturias.

The King's trip to Colombia follows his recent attendance at the inauguration of Peru's president, Keiko Fujimori, on July 29th. During that visit, he also held his customary meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez at the Almudaina Palace in Palma. Before his departure for Cali, Felipe VI met with the president of Ceuta, Juan Jesús Vivas, to discuss the ongoing migratory crisis affecting the Spanish autonomous city. Earlier that day, he participated in the Copa del Rey sailing regatta.