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Abelardo De La Espriella faces criticism for social media video showing him walking among rows of body bags

Colombian President Abelardo De La Espriella sparked a wave of criticism after posting a video of himself walking through rows of white body bags containing the remains of 23 alleged guerrillas. The footage, which captured the results of Operation Azarías in the Colombian Amazon, shows De La Espriella surrounded by corpses and seized weapons. The administration announced that the operation resulted in the deaths of 23 alleged dissidents, the capture of six individuals, the rescue of a minor, and the seizure of 28 rifles and four machine guns. Critics, including leftwing lawmaker Daniel Monroy and former President Gustavo Petro, labeled the video a bizarre spectacle of "necropolitics" and accused the president of turning death into a trophy. Abelardo De La Espriella responded by stating that while forgiving terrorists is God's business, sending them to meet him is the president's job. This visual style mirrors tactics used by Donald Trump, who frequently published footage of attacks against alleged drug trafficking vessels. The administration also announced the definitive cancellation of negotiations with three dissident groups, signaling a shift toward a military-first security strategy over the dialogue-based approach of his predecessor.

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