Colombia's President-elect Pledges to Restore Relations with Israel
The Shift in Colombia's Foreign Policy
Colombia's President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella has pledged to restore relations with Israel, after diplomatic ties were severed over the country's genocidal campaign in Gaza.
De la Espriella's Commitment to Israel
On Wednesday, de la Espriella acknowledged he had taken a congratulatory call from Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar. "Thank you, my dear friend," de la Espriella wrote to Saar in a social media exchange. "Colombia will restore and strengthen its relationship with the State of Israel like never before. Israel can count on Colombia as a loyal friend and steadfast ally. May God bless our two nations."
The Data Analysis
- 73,000 Palestinians killed since Israel's war on Gaza began
- International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant
The Impact Analysis
Those remarks signal a coming reversal in Colombia's foreign policy. For the last four years, Colombia has been led by Gustavo Petro, the country's first-ever left-wing president. Since his election in 2022, Petro has been vocal in his criticism of Israel and its top ally, the United States, blasting both countries for human rights abuses.
The Prediction
With de la Espriella's inauguration scheduled for August, his party, Defenders of the Homeland, has reaffirmed his commitment to rebuilding alliances with the right-wing governments in Israel and the US. De la Espriella has "expressed his readiness to work toward strengthening the alliance between Colombia and the United States, based on shared values of freedom, democracy, and prosperity".