House of Representatives Approves De la Espriella’s Swearing-In Ceremony Outside Bogota

President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella‘s new objective of being sworn into office in Cali moved closer to becoming a reality. This Tuesday, the plenary session of the House of Representatives approved by a significant majority that the solemn ceremony take place outside Bogota, where it has traditionally been held under constitutional mandate.

In the vote, 117 representatives supported the proposal, while only seven voted against it. The result is also an indication of the support the newly elected president has been gaining in the Colombian Congress.

After expressing his interest in being sworn in within the department of Cauca, particularly at a military base, De la Espriella had to give up that plan because current President Gustavo Petro, as commander in chief of the Armed Forces, prohibited the military from making any barracks available for the ceremony.

With Tuesday’s decision by the House of Representatives, De la Espriella is now one step away from being sworn in at Cali, where Mayor Alejandro Eder and Valle del Cauca Governor Dilian Francisca Toro have expressed their desire and willingness for him to assume office in that city.

The Senate plenary will have the final say

It has already been confirmed that the venue for De la Espriella’s inauguration will be Arena USC, the main auditorium of Universidad Santiago de Cali, Pampalinda campus.

But the legislative decision did not come easily. For several hours, supporters and opponents of De la Espriella clashed in a bitter debate. Members of Congress from the Historic Pact, the coalition that brought Gustavo Petro to power, have already announced that they will not attend De la Espriella’s inauguration.

Although the House approved the proposal, the Senate plenary will have the final word this Wednesday, July 29, at 2:00 p.m., when senators debate the initiative and make a decision on the relocation.

The news was confirmed following a security council meeting attended by the Government of Valle del Cauca and the Mayor’s Office of Cali. During that meeting, other possible venues, such as Cayzedo Square, Marco Fidel Suarez Air Base, and the Valle del Pacifico Convention Center, were ruled out.

De la Espriella’s inauguration in Cali on August 7 also carries significant symbolic value. In 2021, the city was the scene of protests that spiraled out of control and showcased the actions of the so-called “front lines,” groups aligned with the Historic Pact.

It is also significant that Cali is one of the cities with the strongest electoral support for the left, to the point that it is considered a bastion of Petro’s political movement.

Finally, the capital of Valle del Cauca is of great strategic importance under the country’s current public security conditions. Cali is the gateway to southwestern Colombia, where various armed groups involved mainly in drug trafficking and illegal mining operate freely.