Colombia's President Skips UN, Sends VP to Deliver Speech on Security and Multilateral Reform

President Abelardo De La Espriella declined to attend the 81st UN General Assembly in New York on Thursday, remaining in Colombia to oversee the security situation in Santa Marta and Cali. He fulfilled a campaign pledge not to leave the country during his four-year mandate.

Vice-President José Manuel Restrepo delivered the presidential address, reading a speech written by De La Espriella. Restrepo opened by quoting the president's promise to stay in Colombia, framing the absence as a commitment kept rather than a diplomatic snub.

“I have done so because I assured the Colombian people that I would not leave the country during the four years of my mandate. I am keeping that promise.”

The speech addressed the August 10 earthquake that struck days after the inauguration, citing the government's response to both the natural disaster and a broader crisis of confidence. Restrepo declared that security forces had received an "unequivocal" order to recover territorial control and restore state authority.

De La Espriella's text defined terrorist groups broadly as organizations that murder, kidnap, use explosives, recruit minors, and resort to terror to subdue society. The address also called for a review of the multilateral system's efficacy eight decades after the UN's founding.

The president argued his criticisms of the UN stem from political, institutional, and doctrinal convictions, not animosity. He defended international cooperation based on respect for national sovereignty and human rights without political distinctions.