Luis Abinader to Attend Historic Colombian Presidential Inauguration in Cali

President Luis Abinader is among the foreign leaders confirmed to attend the inauguration of Colombia’s president-elect, Abelardo de la Espriella, in the southwestern city of Cali on Friday, in a ceremony that Colombian authorities say will be attended by high-level international delegations.

Cali Mayor Alejandro Eder announced that ten top-level delegations have confirmed their participation in the event, including King Felipe VI of Spain, seven Latin American presidents, a prime minister and other senior government officials.

Regional Leaders Confirm Attendance

According to Eder, the heads of state expected in Cali include Javier Milei of Argentina, Daniel Noboa of Ecuador, Santiago Peña of Paraguay, Laura Fernández of Costa Rica, José Raúl Mulino of Panama, Luis Abinader of the Dominican Republic, José Antonio Kast of Chile and Nasry Asfura of Honduras.

El Salvador and Guatemala will be represented by their vice presidents, Félix Ulloa and Karin Herrera, respectively. Also expected are Gilmar Pisa, prime minister of Curaçao representing the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira.

Israel to Restore Diplomatic Ties

Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar is also scheduled to attend. The incoming Colombian administration has announced that it intends to immediately restore diplomatic relations with Israel after they were severed by former President Gustavo Petro in May 2024 in response to the war in Gaza.

Mayor Eder did not specify whether Venezuela would send an official delegation. Colombia restored diplomatic relations with Venezuela in September 2022 after Petro took office, ending several years of strained ties between the neighboring countries.

He also did not identify the representatives expected from Peru, Mexico or the United States, although Colombian officials anticipate a high-level U.S. delegation because of De la Espriella’s close relationship with the Republican administration of President Donald Trump, who publicly supported him during the presidential campaign.

A Historic Ceremony Outside Bogotá

The inauguration will be held at the Arena USC, an auditorium at the Universidad Santiago de Cali, making it the first presidential swearing-in ceremony in Colombia’s recent history to take place outside Bogotá. The decision reflects De la Espriella’s pledge to promote decentralization by moving key national events beyond the capital.

In a message shared on social media, the president-elect said the ceremony would be austere and described it as the first tangible demonstration that decentralization would become a governing principle rather than merely a political promise.