Colombian president-elect gives armed groups one month to surrender

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Bogotá: Colombia's president-elect Abelardo de la Espriella has issued a stark ultimatum to the country's guerrilla groups, giving them one month to surrender. The hard-right leader’s announcement signals a dramatic shift away from the outgoing administration’s focus on dialogue with criminal organizations.

Winning Sunday's election by less than a percentage point, De la Espriella vowed there would be ‘no generous offers or unacceptable concessions’ under his new administration.

 He intends to implement a rigorous security strategy, including bombing campaigns and the construction of "mega-prisons" modeled after policies in El Salvador.

The president-elect plans to strengthen national security by forging military alliances with the United States and Israel. This hard-line stance comes as Colombia, the world's largest cocaine producer, faces a 3.5 percent increase in drug crop cultivation as of 2024.

While supporters celebrate his victory as an ‘epic triumph’ against the establishment, the political landscape remains tense. Defeated leftist candidate Ivan Cepeda has signaled potential peaceful civil disobedience, marking a volatile transition as the nation grapples with its highest violence levels in a decade.