Iván Duque updates his address

It’s not every day that Colombians welcome a new President on their day off, but today is one of those exceptions. Iván Duque will update his address to the Casa de Nariño in a ceremony later today.

Duque becomes Colombia’s 33rd President, having defeated former Mayor of Bogotá and former M-19 guerrilla Gustavo Petro in a June 17 run-off. He replaces Juan Manuel Santos, who had governed Colombia since 2010.

Observers more astute than I have opined on what Duque’s victory means for the country and the challenges he will face.

In the broadest terms, most expect Duque, a former Senator and executive at the Inter-American Development Bank, to focus on managing Colombia’s economy and implementing the peace agreement that his predecessor achieved with Farc guerrillas in 2016.

The peace agreement earned Santos the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize; Duque, however, opposed it during the campaign and has vowed to amend certain provisions.

August 7 also marks the anniversary of the Battle of Boyacá, the decisive battle that ended Spanish rule in what would become present-day Colombia. It’s a national holiday, which means there’s Ciclovia as well.