A judge in Bogotá ruled that the inauguration ceremony, which included an invocation, praise, representatives of different faiths, and an image of the Virgin of Fátima, violated the principle of religious neutrality and ordered President Abelardo De La Espriella to offer public apologies and to refrain from religious manifestations during official acts in his capacity as president. ^[1] On August 23, 2026, during a presidential address, President Abelardo De La Espriella publicly apologized for the religious ceremony and stated that he would guarantee Colombians' freedom to profess or not profess any religion, but he then concluded with the phrase '¡Viva Cristo Rey!', which reignited controversy. ^[2] The government of Colombian President Abelardo De La Espriella filed an appeal (impugnación) against a court ruling that ordered the president to apologize publicly for the religious elements included in his presidential inauguration ceremony at Universidad Santiago de Cali in 2026. ^[3] The legal team of the Presidency of Abelardo de la Espriella filed an objection to a judicial ruling that ordered the President to offer public apologies for allegedly violating religious neutrality during his inauguration ceremony in Cali on August 7, 2026. ^[4] The Presidency of the Republic of Colombia appealed a tutela ruling that ordered President Abelardo de la Espriella to apologize for the presence of religious elements during his inauguration ceremony. ^[5] A citizen filed a tutela (constitutional complaint) alleging that the religious ceremony at the inauguration violated the right to freedom of conscience and religion. ^[6] Carolina Jiménez, coordinator of the Judicial Defense Management Group, signed the legal document seeking a declaration of impropriety for the protection order (tutela). ^[7] The defense asserts that the decisions to include religious invocations and the image of the Virgin Mary were made by the Congress of the Republic, not the President. ^[8] The legal defense argues that President Abelardo de la Espriella is not legally responsible for the modification of the ceremony's agenda or the installation of the image of the Virgin Mary in the venue. ^[9] A second judicial instance will now review the arguments presented by the Presidency to decide whether to maintain or revoke the original court ruling. ^[10] The government's defense, signed by Carolina Jiménez, argued that President Abelardo de la Espriella was not responsible for decisions regarding the agenda changes or the placement of an image of the Virgin of Fatima, as these corresponded to the Congress. ^[11] The original tutela was presented by Omar Alberto Franco Becerra, who questioned the presence of religious symbols and expressions during the inauguration ceremony held on August 7 in Cali. ^[12]