Colombia President‑elect Abelardo de la Espriella vows audit, warns leftist opposition

Abelardo de la Espriella was declared president‑elect of Colombia and, during his credential ceremony before the National Electoral Council, pledged a comprehensive audit of the outgoing administration’s finances, calling it an "anticorruption handover" to assess the "true magnitude of the looting and institutional decay" he inherited.

Soon after his victory, de la Espriella warned left‑wing opponents, repeating the slogan “El Tigre puede morder más fuerte,” which sparked alarm among figures such as Iván Cepeda, who recalled past political violence and demanded verification of vote counts. The president‑elect also promised to protect democratic guarantees for criticism and dissent while giving organized crime groups a month to surrender, and urged Congress to fulfill its duties without challenging his mandate.