Hours after the inauguration of Abelardo de la Espriella, Colombia's new right-wing populist president, the United States has pledged a $1 billion aid package. De la Espriella, who shares Donald Trump's policies on drug cartels and illegal immigration, vowed an "all-out war" on narco-terrorism in his first speech as president. The US State Department said this security package would help achieve shared goals of combating organized crime and illegal immigration. This move comes amidst a trend of Latin American nations moving towards the right following economic hardship and concerns about gang violence. De la Espriella, a lawyer and businessman, has positioned himself as a maverick outsider, promising to combat crime with an "iron fist." In his inaugural address, he pledged to crush armed insurgents, rebuild Colombia, and defend democracy. Comparisons have been drawn between de la Espriella's plans and similar crackdowns by right-wing populists in El Salvador and Ecuador. This contrasts sharply with his predecessor, Gustavo Petro, who pursued a "total peace" strategy aimed at resolving the country's internal armed conflict through negotiation and incentives for farmers to stop planting coca. De la Espriella has also announced Colombia's joining of the "Shield of the Americas," a security partnership founded by Trump, which the US State Department welcomed. This move aligns Colombia with other right-wing governments seeking closer ties with the Trump administration, such as Argentina. However, de la Espriella will face opposition from left-wing leaders like Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil and Flávio Bolsonaro, the son of jailed former President Jair Bolsonaro, in October. De la Espriella has also promised a strong military alliance with the US and Israel, a stark contrast to Petro's stance on Israeli politics.