8 Aug 2010

Santos takes office as Colombian president

12:43 pm on 8 August 2010

Colombia's new president, Juan Manuel Santos, has been sworn in at a ceremony attended by more than 100 international delegations.

The president of Ecuador and the foreign minister of Venezuela were at the inauguration in the capital, Bogota, the BBC reports. Both countries broke off relations with Mr Santos' predecessor, Alvaro Uribe.

While Mr Santos has promised to continue Mr Uribe's fight against left-wing rebels, he says he will govern in his own way, and swore to uphold the constitution and laws of Colombia.

Earlier, he took part in a symbolic swearing-in ceremony with indigenous leaders in the Sierra Nevada mountains.