Colombia’s El Tigre is taking no prisoners

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Drug lords and social-justice warriors are in the president’s sights | World News

Pistol on belt and walkie-talkie in hand, President Abelardo de la Espriella strides along with security forces on night-time raids. Alleged criminals, paraded in handcuffs, are struck dumb. Colombia’s new sheriff taunts them, then packs them off to jail with one of his signature lines: Bienvenido a la Patria Milagro—“Welcome to the Miracle Nation.”

The videos posted to the president’s social-media channels provide a gratifying show for Colombians tired of crime. Mr de la Espriella, a flamboyant right-wing populist who calls himself El Tigre, promised an iron fist and rip-roaring growth. Approaching 100 days in power, the Tiger has got started on both.

But it will take more than TikTok videos to break the influence that armed groups which run drug-trafficking and illegal mining operations hold over swathes of the country—and certainly more to tackle Colombia’s fiscal crisis. Meanwhile Mr de la Espriella’s illiberal instincts have set him on a collision course with Congress and the courts. And the left-wing coalition that lost to him by less than one percentage point in the presidential run-off is encouraging his critics onto the streets.

Mr de la Espriella’s government entered office at a time of calamity. Three days after his inauguration an earthquake struck Colombia, killing more than 300 people and causing over $13bn of damage. Mr de la Espriella and his ministers responded in a telegenic manner. They visited the affected areas and promised a “Miracle Fund” for reconstruction (which in fact has been slow to materialise).

Since then, security has been Mr de la Espriella’s main concern. Under Gustavo Petro, his leftist predecessor, armed groups expanded, security deteriorated and cocaine production hit new highs. Mr de la Espriella has scrapped peace talks attempted under Mr Petro, which had failed to make progress.

Many Colombians welcome the change in narrative. But the increase in operations has been “modest”, says Javier Flórez of the Ideas for Peace Foundation, a…

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