President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella announced a radical "Plan Colombia II" to overhaul the nation's security and economic systems following his election victory.
The proposal marks a sharp pivot toward far-right policies, aiming to align Colombia closely with the United States and aggressively curb narcotrafficking through a combination of military expansion and austerity.
De la Espriella's plan includes the establishment of U.S. military bases on Colombian soil and a transition to dollarize the national economy [1, 2]. He also proposed a significant reduction in the role of the government, targeting a 40% cut to the size of the state [2].
To address crime and narcotics, the president-elect intends to build a series of large-scale prison facilities known as "megacárceles" [2]. While some reports indicate a plan for seven such facilities [2], other sources suggest the target is 10 [5].
These announcements follow a tight presidential election cycle that concluded with a second-round runoff on June 21, 2026 [3]. De la Espriella has signaled a strong ideological bond with U.S. leadership, specifically citing Donald Trump as a model for his governance.
"En usted veo un líder," de la Espriella said [3].
The "Plan Colombia II" framework seeks to stabilize the economy through the adoption of the U.S. dollar, and a dramatic shift in the state's administrative structure to limit public spending [1, 2].
“"En usted veo un líder"”
The implementation of 'Plan Colombia II' would represent one of the most significant ideological shifts in Colombian history, moving the country away from social-democratic leanings toward a neoliberal, security-centric model. By pursuing dollarization and hosting U.S. bases, de la Espriella is attempting to tie Colombia's economic and security stability directly to U.S. policy, which may reduce domestic autonomy while aiming for rapid inflation control and increased military pressure on cartels.
