Paraguayan President Attends Colombian Inauguration in Cali

Paraguayan President Santiago Peña arrived in Cali, Colombia, to attend the inauguration of right-wing President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella. Peña departed Paraguay on Thursday, leading a delegation that included First Lady Leticia Ocampos and Foreign Minister Rubén Ramírez.

The inauguration ceremony is notable for breaking with Colombian tradition. For the first time in history, the event is being held in Cali, at the request of the president-elect. Furthermore, De la Espriella, who campaigned on a platform of "war" against guerrillas and criminal groups, announced he will deliver his inaugural address to military forces rather than the Colombian Congress.

President Peña joins a distinguished list of international leaders in Cali for the ceremony. Among those already in Colombia are Chilean President José Antonio Kast, Argentinian President Javier Milei, Honduran President Nasry Asfura, and the Prime Minister of Curaçao, Gilmar Pisas. The Vice President of Guatemala, Karin Herrera, is also in attendance.

Other prominent figures invited to the event include King Felipe VI of Spain and the presidents of Ecuador, Costa Rica, Panama, and the Dominican Republic. Following De la Espriella's narrow victory in the Colombian presidential elections in June, President Peña had congratulated him, calling him a reflection of Colombians' trust in "freedom, opportunities, and the strengthening of institutions."

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Peña had congratulated the president-elect calling him a reflection of the trust of Colombians “in freedom, opportunities and the strengthening of institutions”.