Incoming Colombian FM says country will be ninth to open embassy in Jerusalem

Jerusalem says Omar Bola Escobar and Gideon Sa’ar also agreed to restore full diplomatic ties, after Abelardo de la Espriella campaigned on ‘renewing a strategic alliance’ with Israel

Colombia’s incoming foreign minister informed Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar that his country will open an embassy in Jerusalem, Sa’ar’s office said Friday, after President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella vowed his country would share a relationship “like never before” with Israel once he takes office.

Colombia will be the ninth country to open an embassy in Israel’s capital.

The United States, Guatemala, Honduras, Kosovo, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Fiji and Somaliland also have embassies in Jerusalem, while other countries — including Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia — have embassy branches in the capital.

During their meeting in Washington, DC, Sa’ar and Omar Bola Escobar also agreed to restore full diplomatic relations and remove visa requirements.

Colombia recalled its ambassador in June 2024, and Israel responded by not replacing its outgoing envoy.

Bogota’s relations with Jerusalem nosedived under Colombia’s first-ever leftist government led by President Gustavo Petro, an ardent critic of Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, which he has cast as a genocide — a charge vehemently denied by Israel.

Petro severed diplomatic ties and suspended the purchase of weaponry from Israel — formerly one of Colombia’s main military partners.

De la Espriella has said he will reverse these decisions, and one of his main campaign pledges was to “renew a strategic alliance with the State of Israel,” open an embassy in Jerusalem, and “defend the Judeo-Christian principles that form the foundation of Western civilization.”

Nicknamed “The Tiger,” de la Espriella holds dual Colombian and US citizenship. He’s a Trump supporter and a member of the US Republican Party. He has never held public office before and will take the reins from Petro in August.

Colombia is enduring the worst levels of violence in a decade, and the president-elect won the election by looking to shrink the size of the state, conduct a bombing campaign against Colombia’s myriad armed groups and review the Latin American country’s involvement in international organizations including the United Nations.

In an interview with AFP during the campaign, he said he would seek US and Israeli support to conduct bombing campaigns on guerrillas.

Experts consulted by AFP have cast doubt on De la Espriella’s ability to fulfill his promises.

He is taking the helm of a deeply divided country, with the political left — which won almost half the votes on Sunday — threatening massive protests against his policies, including his vow to restore ties with Israel.

Times of Israel staff and agencies contributed to this report.