The elected president of Colombia, Abelardo de la Espriella, faces renewed international scrutiny just days after taking office, after The New York Times published an investigation detailing his career as a lawyer for people accused of drug trafficking and money laundering, as well as the questions surrounding his activities in the United States before beginning his political career.

According to the American newspaper, De la Espriella built part of his career in Miami representing clients involved in federal proceedings related to drug trafficking and money laundering. Now, as president-elect, he has promised to work closely with President Donald Trump's administration to toughen the fight against cartels and organized crime in the region.

“He promises to help the Trump administration intensify the regional war on drugs, confronting the drug traffickers he once represented,” summarizes the investigation signed by Annie Correal and David Ovalle.

His past as a lawyer returns to the debate

The publication notes that De la Espriella worked with high-profile clients linked to US investigations, including Colombian businessman Alex Saab, accused by federal prosecutors of laundering millions of dollars for the Venezuelan government.

The report also maintains that the now president-elect was the subject of scrutiny by federal prosecutors during the investigation into Saab. However, the newspaper clarifies that he was never formally accused of any crime.

De la Espriella's office responded to the newspaper that the aforementioned events “were widely discussed during the presidential campaign” and assured that he did not consider it appropriate to return to those matters. Furthermore, he stated that the elected president “was never investigated or accused” and that his professional conduct was “absolutely impeccable.”

The report also describes the stage in which the lawyer established operations in Miami, where he worked alongside lawyers licensed in Florida and maintained a relationship with Jorge Luis Hernández, a former drug trafficker who later collaborated as an informant for US federal agencies, including the DEA.

Heavy-handed promises and new criticism

After returning to Colombia in 2025, De la Espriella built a campaign based on a discourse of security, frontal combat against organized crime and opposition to leftist governments. His candidacy received public support from Donald Trump before the elections in June.

Among his main promises are strengthening cooperation with Washington, promoting the extradition of alleged drug traffickers and strengthening operations against criminal organizations.

The New York Times' revelations add to questions previously published by Colombian media such as VORÁGINE, which documented the purchase of a property historically linked to a former paramilitary leader known as “Comandante Barbie,” convicted of drug trafficking and promoting illegal armed groups.

Meanwhile, outgoing president Gustavo Petro once again questioned the political legitimacy of his successor and maintained that De la Espriella “directly obeys” the interests of the United States government, while criticizing the support that Trump provided during the presidential campaign.

For now, no US authority has brought charges against the president-elect, and the Justice Department declined to comment on the allegations mentioned in the investigation.

However, the publication of the New York newspaper once again places the professional past of the person who will assume the Presidency of Colombia on August 7, at a time when he promises to make the fight against drug trafficking one of the central axes of his government.