00:00Abelardo Gabriel de la Espriella Otero will receive the sash this Friday that accredits him as the
00:04President of Colombia for the next four years. He is the successor to Gustavo Petro in the
00:08The highest office in the land, and he assumes a country with several challenges that require immediate attention.
00:13But who is Abelardo de la Espriella and where does the new head of state come from?
00:17He was born in Bogotá on July 31, 1978, but spent much of his childhood and youth abroad.
00:23in Montería. After leaving the pearl of the Sinú, he returned to the capital to study Law
00:27at Sergio Arboleda University. She graduated in 2000 and reinforced her studies in 2003 with a
00:32He specialized in Criminal Law and in 2006 earned a Master's degree in Law. His election as president
00:37It was achieved with the support of 12.9 million votes in the second round on June 21.
00:42that
00:43The runoff candidate defeated the ruling party's candidate, Iván Cepeda, by a margin of just over 257,000 votes.
00:48votes in a campaign that began for the now president with the delivery of 5 million signatures
00:53before the registrar's office. Security, economic recovery, and decentralization of the State were
00:59the main banners he read in that presidential process under the motto of Firm for the Homeland.
01:03Along the way, he surrounded himself with a robust circle that has a thorough understanding of how public services work.
01:08In fact, his vice president is José Manuel Restrepo, who was previously Minister of Commerce and
01:12Finance Minister during Iván Duque's administration, in addition to being rector of four prestigious universities.
01:17His experience allowed him to implement several of the president's proposals. An important part of his
01:21The victory lay in the strategy led by, among others, Carlos Alonso Lucio, former congressman
01:26and former M19 militant Carlos Ríos, former Deputy Minister of Defense in the Duque government, Joaquín Gutiérrez,
01:33a businessman from Santa Marta in the health and real estate sector and Carlos Suárez Rojas, a lawyer
01:37A criminal lawyer and political strategist with widespread recognition in the region. They, in addition to
01:41Charting the president's campaign route also paved the way for him to found
01:46their own community. And that's because the Defenders of the Homeland movement, with which they initially
01:50The campaign was launched and has already received the green light from the National Electoral Council.
01:54to have legal status and become a party. Seeking the presidency, he distanced himself
01:59from the traditional sectors. He spoke of a choice between the usual suspects and the never-ending suspects.
02:03in which he ultimately emerged victorious. However, he largely failed to achieve his goals.
02:07the support of the Conservative, Liberal, U parties and the Char House of Radical Change.
02:12And after the first round results, he was also backed by Álvaro Uribe's Democratic Center.
02:17According to de la Esprilla, the former president has received numerous accolades and deep respect.
02:21Although this quest for power involved several clashes, and with the consolidation of
02:26Defenders of the homeland gained much more strength. Today the president-elect is projected
02:30as the new face that will lead the right wing in Colombia, while Uribismo has expressed
02:34Fear of losing political ground. They will have their first real test in the elections.
02:39regional elections in 2027. After his election, he has prioritized listening to the regions and everyone
02:44the possible social sectors. It began with a strategy of regional connections with which
02:48He has visited several departments to address the needs of mayors and governors.
02:52It began in Norte de Santander, where it obtained more than 76.56% of the local vote. It then moved on to Casanare,
02:59Santander, Huila, Antioquia, Tulima, and Cundinamarca. He emerged victorious over Cepeda in every competition. He also arrived
03:05So, in Córdoba, although he didn't win there, he wants to prioritize addressing the needs of his people.
03:09native Caribbean Coast. In that effort to decentralize the state, he also announced that he will not work from
03:14Bogotá. It will be held from Barranquilla with alternate venues in Medellín and Cali. He also requested
03:18to convert the Casa de Nariño into a museum and govern from the Palacio de San Carlos, the natural seat of the
03:23Foreign Ministry, when he has stops in Bogotá. For the president-elect, Abelardo de la Espliella,
03:28Family is also fundamental. That's where his wife, Ana Lucía Pineda, comes in. He met her...
03:33According to her account, they met in Montería, although they began a relationship when they were both in Bogotá. The result of that relationship was a child.
03:38Her four children, Lucia, Salvador, Filippo, and Francesca, are her family. The now First Lady,
03:43who also has a political lineage, has articulated some of the president's proposals focused
03:48in childhood and among single mothers. The international agenda is also important.
03:52for the new president. He will prioritize relations with the U.S. government.
03:56Donald Trump has already ordered the restoration of ties with Israel. He has also called for severing ties with the
04:00dictatorships in Cuba and Nicaragua. His detractors point to his defense of figures convicted by
04:05corruption or links to paramilitarism. And as a criminal lawyer, he was part of the dialogues.
04:10of the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia through the Initiatives for Peace Foundation.
04:14They also question the defense of David Murcia Guzmán or Alex Saab, who is accused of being
04:19Nicolás Maduro's front man. However, his resume also includes legal proceedings against him.
04:23Defense of Rosa Elvira Sely or Natalia Ponce de León. Now President Abelardo Velasprilla receives
04:28The presidential sash was presented in Cali, and he began a term in which he announced he would prioritize the crises of
04:33health, safety, public finances, as well as dealing with a possible blackout.
04:37Now the right wing regains power through this criminal lawyer after their victory at the polls.
04:41and returns to the left, to the opposition, where he will have Gustavo Petro as
04:46the main standard-bearer of that political force, although vying for the role with Iván Cepeda.
04:50However, from now on there is a new head of state, and he believes that the mandate that is beginning will be like this one.
04:55formal this August 7th.
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