The president-elect of Colombia, Abelardo de la Espriella, announced this Thursday that his next government will restore diplomatic relations with Israel and open a Colombian embassy in Jerusalem.
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The decision was communicated after a meeting held in Washington between the Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gideon Saar, and the designated Colombian chancellor, Omar Bula Escobar.
According to De la Espriella’s team, during the meeting a roadmap was agreed upon for the “full and immediate” restoration of diplomatic and economic relations between both countries starting next August 7, the date on which the president-elect will take office.
The agreement includes the appointment of ambassadors, the reciprocal elimination of the visa requirement for Colombian and Israeli citizens, and the establishment of Colombia’s diplomatic representation in Jerusalem, with the support of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“The incoming government of Abelardo de la Espriella will restore the historic alliance between Colombia and Israel,” said the office of the next president.
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Additionally, the future Colombian government announced that it will withdraw its intervention in the process initiated by South Africa against Israel before the International Court of Justice, related to the Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip.
“Colombia will also resume a serious and responsible position on the international stage, including the United Nations system,” said De la Espriella’s team, adding that the country will seek to regain its position as a “trusted partner in the world.”
Diplomatic relations between Colombia and Israel were suspended in May 2024 by decision of the government of President Gustavo Petro.
After the announcement became known, Petro criticized the establishment of the embassy in Jerusalem, calling it “a maximum insult to all Islamic peoples of the world,” and stated that Colombian foreign policy must be “focused on peace.”
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