President-elect De la Espriella of Colombia visits Catholic shrines to pray for the nation

Colombia president-elect Abelardo de la Espriella announced on June 26 that he has begun visiting various Catholic shrines to entrust the country “to God’s protection.”

On X, de la Espriella described his tour as “a journey of thanksgiving,” calling it “the pilgrimage of hope for the miracle homeland.”

He noted that during the first stage, he visited the shrine of El Morro, where he consecrated his life, his service, and the entire country “to the protection of the Most Holy Virgin Mary.”

De la Espriella said he traveled to La Guajira to visit the cathedral shrine of Our Lady of the Remedies, where he prayed for healthcare workers and the sick, as well as the minor basilica of the Lord of Miracles in Sucre, where he prayed “for Colombia’s security, for peace, for our security forces, and for the protection of every Colombian family.”

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“I concluded this first day at the shrine to St. Peter Claver in Cartagena, giving thanks to God and praying that we never lose sight of the most vulnerable, so that justice, solidarity, and dignity may reach every corner of the nation,” he wrote.

De la Espriella, who won the presidency representing the Defenders of the Homeland party, said he would continue “traveling this path with the conviction that, when a people places its destiny in God’s hands, it always finds hope.”

On the night of June 14, De la Espriella concluded his campaign for the June 20 runoff election in the city of Buga, where during the day he visited the Lord of Miracles shrine.

However, to avoid any political misinterpretation, the Redemptorist missionary community that administers the basilica clarified in a statement that the shrine did not endorse any candidate and that the visit was personal in nature, “motivated by his prayer and devotion, just like that of any other pilgrim or member of the faithful who comes to entrust themselves to the Lord of Miracles.”

De la Espriella, who has said that the death of a loved one from COVID-19 led him to embrace the Catholic faith, has also engaged with Christians of other denominations.

On April 15, he attended a gathering at the Tabernacle of Faith evangelical congregation in Bogotá, where the then-candidate signed the “Commitment to Life and Family” promoted by the United for Life platform.

De la Espriella will be inaugurated president of Colombia on Aug. 7 for the 2026–2030 term, succeeding Gustavo Petro, who will conclude his tenure as the countryʼs first leftist president.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.