BARRANQUILLA (Colombia), Oct 20 — Colombia’s new right-wing leader has built himself a costly new presidential palace — a white-columned mansion far from Bogota that doubles as a political manifesto.
Tucked inside a Caribbean military base, President Abelardo de la Espriella’s new headquarters is meant to embody two of his signature promises: a focus on Colombia’s security forces and shifting power away from a capital accused of neglecting the country’s regions.
The austere neoclassical building, set amid tropical gardens and palm trees in Barranquilla, has quickly become one of the most visible symbols of his presidency.
Admirers see a bold statement of decentralisation from a leader determined to govern from beyond Bogota.
