Spain's King Felipe VI attends presidential inauguration in Cali, Colombia

King Felipe VI of Spain arrived in Cali, Colombia, to attend the presidential inauguration of Abelardo de la Espriella. The Spanish monarch met with the president-elect hours before the official ceremony, which was scheduled to take place in the afternoon at the Arena USC, part of the Universidad Santiago de Cali.

The bilateral meeting occurred at the Centro Cultural de Cali and included Spain's Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, the Spanish Ambassador to Bogotá, Santiago Jiménez, Colombia's incoming first lady Ana Lucía Pineda, and diplomats from both nations. King Felipe VI's attendance marks his sixth time at a Colombian presidential inauguration since 1996, a role he typically performs for Ibero-American investitures.

Upon his arrival at Alfonso Bonilla Aragón International Airport earlier in the day, the King was received by Colombia's outgoing Chancellor, Rosa Yolanda Villavicencio, Ambassador Jiménez, and other Colombian officials. He received military honors from cadets of the Colombian Air Force's Marco Fidel Suárez Military Aviation School.

Several other heads of state were also present for De la Espriella's inauguration, including presidents Javier Milei of Argentina, Daniel Noboa of Ecuador, Laura Fernández of Costa Rica, and Luis Abinader of the Dominican Republic, among other international dignitaries. Following the ceremony, King Felipe VI was scheduled to return to Spain.