Colombia’s president-elect, Abelardo de la Espriella, has embarked on a pilgrimage to several Catholic shrines across the country, seeking divine protection for the nation. On June 26, he announced the start of this spiritual journey, which he described as “a journey of thanksgiving” and “the pilgrimage of hope for the miracle homeland.”
De la Espriella, representing the Defenders of the Homeland party, began his tour at the shrine of El Morro, where he consecrated his life, his service, and the entire country to the Virgin Mary. He then traveled to La Guajira to visit the cathedral shrine of Our Lady of the Remedies, praying for healthcare workers and the sick. In Sucre, he visited the minor basilica of the Lord of Miracles, where he prayed for Colombia’s security, peace, and the protection of every family.
The president-elect concluded the first day at the shrine of St. Peter Claver in Cartagena, giving thanks and praying for the most vulnerable. “May justice, solidarity, and dignity reach every corner of the nation,” he wrote on social media. De la Espriella emphasized his commitment to walking this path of faith, stating, “When a people places its destiny in God’s hands, it always finds hope.”
His visit to the Lord of Miracles shrine in Buga on June 14, during the campaign for the runoff election, was clarified by the Redemptorist missionaries as a personal act of devotion, not an endorsement. De la Espriella, who credits his conversion to Catholicism to the death of a loved one from COVID-19, has also engaged with evangelical Christians, signing a “Commitment to Life and Family” in April.
De la Espriella will be inaugurated on August 7, succeeding Gustavo Petro, Colombia’s first leftist president, for the 2026-2030 term.
