Cali, Colombia - Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella vowed to restore order and eradicate "narco-terrorists" in a fiery first speech as leader on Friday.

The US-backed millionaire flew by helicopter to address soldiers in a military garrison after his inauguration in the southwestern city of Cali.

His mandate marks a sharp turn right for the Andean nation, with the 48-year-old keen to cozy up to Washington and come down hard on Colombia's patchwork of armed groups.

"There will be no room for maneuvers that undermine the stability of the nation," the president told thousands of soldiers.

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He pledged to "relentlessly defeat narco-terrorism," adding that "the option of dialogue is completely exhausted" – a reference to the former administration's spluttering peace talks with guerrillas.

After four years of diplomatic spats with the US, President Donald Trump now has an eager ally in Bogota.

Eradicating "narco-terrorism" has been a big focus for the Trump administration, so this speech indicates de la Espriella's willingness to make headway on the matter.

De la Espriella, who holds dual US and Colombian citizenship, has adopted a military salute as his signature move.

He has offered to host US troops on Colombian soil and wants to bomb jungle cocaine labs, build "mega-prisons," and slash the size of the state.