The Colombian president said the August 7 swearing-in violated the principle of religious neutrality of the state.
Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella issued a public apology on Sunday for his inauguration ceremony, held on August 7 in Cali.
Caracol Radio reports that the apology addressed a breach of the principle of religious neutrality of the state. RPP also carried the apology, placing the offence at the same Cali ceremony. The two reports agree on the date, the place and the presidential admission of fault.
The read here is that a sitting president acknowledging a constitutional breach at his own swearing-in is an unusual step, and the explicit framing around religious neutrality suggests the ceremony drew objections grounded in law rather than taste alone - though the facts do not name the specific conduct that prompted the apology.
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