Geopolitics

Abelardo de la Espriella takes office as Colombia's president on August 7, 2026, in Cali after Congress voted 58 to 30 to relocate the ceremony from Bogotá. Outgoing President Gustavo Petro has publicly rejected the incoming government's legitimacy, citing alleged irregularities in polling-table results, though no court or electoral authority has validated those claims. More than 11,000 security personnel are deployed across Cali, and the U.S. is sending a delegation led by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.

U.S. and Saudi forces conducted coordinated precision strikes against Iran-aligned logistics and weapons sites across eastern Iraq on July 28 and 29, 2026, following more than 30 IRGC-directed drone attacks on U.S. forces and Saudi oil infrastructure in the preceding 72 hours. Saudi Arabia invoked Article 51 of the U.N. Charter in its public statement, marking a notable instance of the Kingdom conducting offensive military action outside its borders. Claims that Saudi forces also struck targets inside Iran remain unconfirmed by any official source.