Colombian hard-right president-elect Abelardo de la Espriella on Friday named a former lawmaker whose father was killed by infamous drug lord Pablo Escobar as his future interior minister.
De la Espriella narrowly won Sunday's runoff by less than a percentage point and has pledged to use a heavy hand on crime when he takes office in August.
In his first cabinet announcement, the millionaire lawyer named Rodrigo Lara as his interior minister.
"He who NEVER, despite having been a victim of violence, stopped working for his homeland," De la Espriella said in a social media post accompanied by an AI-generated video.
The incoming minister's father, Rodrigo Lara Bonilla, was serving as justice minister in 1984 when he was gunned down in Bogota on Escobar's orders.
In a 2021 social media post, Lara noted his father's assassination.
"He fought and died alone, knowing he was going to be killed. He never wavered; he never yielded to the power of the worst criminals," Lara wrote. "His sacrifice was an act of supreme love for Colombia—an act of faith and hope."
Hace 37 años fue asesinado mi padre, Rodrigo Lara Bonilla, cuando tenía 37 años de edad
Luchó y murió solo, sabiendo que lo iban a matar. Nunca se amilanó, nunca cedió al poder de los peores criminales
Su sacrificio fue un acto amor supremo por Colombia, de fe y esperanza. pic.twitter.com/1TBKPbBD5X
The notorious drug baron's forces were engaged in open confrontation with the state at the time, in an effort to prevent cartel members' extradition to the United States.
Lara, who was eight years old when his father was killed, subsequently went into exile in Europe with the rest of his family, and spent several years away before returning to Colombia.
"We will forge a major agreement on the fundamental things that unite us," the lawyer and former senator wrote on X.
Lara previously served as former hardline president Alvaro Uribe's anti-corruption czar.
As a lawmaker, he promoted policies related to the historic peace accord with the now-defunct rebel army FARC -- an agreement De la Espriella now virulently criticizes.
The president-elect told AFP during the campaign he wants to bomb the country's myriad armed groups and construct "mega-prisons."
Right-wing millionaire backed by Trump
The newly elected president, whose business ventures include a clothing line, wine and rum brands, and a restaurant, earned President Trump's endorsement despite never having run for office. He defeated progressive lawmaker Iván Cepeda by 1 percentage point, or more than 251,000 votes.
The result effectively was an indictment of outgoing President Gustavo Petro's government, whose policies Cepeda had promised to continue, including a largely failed effort to establish dialogue with multiple armed groups.
Studies have found that Petro's attempted peace negotiation policies have resulted in the expansion of power and membership of armed criminal groups. Cepeda had participated in and continued throughout the campaign to promote negotiations with guerrillas and cartels.
The issue has been particularly salient for low-income families living near fields of coca, the shrub used to make cocaine, as human rights organizations documented more than 50 massacres in Colombia just this year.
De la Espriella's victory adds Colombia to a growing list of countries that have turned to political outsiders in search of solutions to complex social, security and economic challenges.
Similar to Mr. Trump, de la Espriella was seen as a combative political outsider. He got into multiple clashes many considered disrespectful, especially with women journalists, during the campaign. He was also known for using pyrotechnics during his campaign events.
Historically, Colombia has been the United States' top ally in counternarcotics and one of its most important trade partners in the Western Hemisphere. But U.S.-Colombia relations deteriorated sharply under Petro. In 2025, Mr. Trump formally determined that Colombia had "failed demonstrably" in its counternarcotics commitments and threatened military strikes on the country's land.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Trump-backed populist elected Colombian president
Trump-backed populist wins close Colombia presidential runoff election
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