Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella said in a post on X Wednesday evening that his government will rebuild and strengthen ties with Israel "more than ever before," calling Israel a nation Colombia can count on as a loyal and steadfast ally, according to the post.
At 18:48 Jerusalem on Wednesday, Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella posted directly on X: "Colombia will rebuild and strengthen its relationship with the State of Israel as never before. Israel can count on Colombia as a loyal friend and steadfast ally. May God bless both our peoples." The post follows a phone call earlier in the day — at 17:36 Jerusalem, de la Espriella told Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar the same pledge, as The Zioneer first reported at 18:46. The public statement transforms the commitment from a diplomatic channel into a personal, unmediated presidential declaration.
As The Zioneer reported across the thread, today's developments build on steady signals from de la Espriella since his June 22 runoff victory. Earlier Wednesday at 06:19 Jerusalem, he wrote on social media that a pro-Israel shift is sweeping South America and reiterated his campaign pledge to move Colombia's embassy to Jerusalem. On June 22, upon winning with 49.66% of the vote, he declared his intention to build ties only with nations that respect democracy — and U.S. President Donald Trump congratulated him that evening, vowing "powerful" U.S.-Colombia ties. The thread's source base evolved from Israeli government readouts to a direct, on-record post from the president himself.
De la Espriella's presidency represents a sharp reversal from his predecessor Gustavo Petro, who severed diplomatic relations with Israel. As The Zioneer background reporting noted, de la Espriella's win is part of a broader right-wing wave in Latin America, and he has positioned himself as a pro-Israel leader who intends to align Bogota with Jerusalem and Washington.
What remains to be seen is the timetable for restoring full diplomatic relations, including the planned embassy move to Jerusalem — de la Espriella has spoken of it as an expectation rather than a fixed date, and no concrete steps have been announced since today's post.
4 developments
- DevelopingColombia president-elect de la Espriella vows no ties with nations disrespecting democracy
- DevelopingTrump congratulates Colombia's president-elect de la Espriella, vows 'powerful' US-Colombia ties
- DevelopingColombia's president-elect: South America shifting toward Israel, expects to move embassy to Jerusalem
- DevelopingFM Sa'ar congratulates Colombia's de la Espriella on presidential win
Source and signal
- Internal intake