Colombian President de la Espriella will not attend the UN General Assembly — MercoPress
Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella will not attend the UN General Assembly in New York, United States, and has entrusted Vice President José Manuel Restrepo with delivering the country’s address before delegates. His speech is scheduled for the afternoon of September 24, MercoPress reports.
The president explained the decision by citing a campaign promise not to leave Colombia. In a video address, he said that Restrepo would deliver a speech before the UN plenary that, in his view, would have a significant impact.
Security and investment
Security is expected to be the central topic of the address. De la Espriella and Restrepo agreed to present the government’s new national security strategy during a meeting in Barranquilla. The Foreign Ministry also named investment and “strategic alliances” among the priorities.
Colombia’s vice president will speak immediately before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Opposition congressman Alejandro Ocampo said on X that this is the first time since 1946 that Colombia’s address to the UN General Assembly will be delivered by a vice president. There is no independent confirmation of this claim.
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Delegation in New York
Restrepo arrived in New York on Sunday on a commercial flight. The Colombian delegation includes Foreign Minister Omar Bula, Ambassador to the UN Mauricio Gaona, and Ambassador to the United States María Consuelo Araújo. According to the publication, the delegation is smaller than those of previous governments.
On Monday, Restrepo held meetings with representatives of the World Economic Forum, the Inter-American Development Bank, the energy sector, and Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader. He said Colombia seeks to attract investment, train specialists in artificial intelligence, and modernize the state.
Course of the new government
De la Espriella has held the office of president since August 7. During the campaign, he called the UN “a political directorate of the left” and threatened to withdraw the Colombian delegation, but after taking office, the foreign minister confirmed that the country would remain on the UN Security Council. Colombia was elected to the body in 2025, and its term will last until December 2027.
