Colombia's newly elected president Abelardo de la Espriella announced his first official act will be opening an embassy in Jerusalem and renewing the alliance with Israel, according to his social media post.
Colombia's President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella announced Thursday evening that his first official act upon taking office will be opening an embassy in Jerusalem and renewing Colombia's alliance with Israel.
The announcement, made on social media, is the latest in a series of pledges since his election victory on June 21. De la Espriella, a right-wing candidate who defeated the incumbent left-wing president Gustavo Petro's successor, campaigned on a platform of restoring ties with Israel after Petro severed diplomatic relations in 2024. As The Zioneer reported over the past week, de la Espriella has repeatedly emphasized his commitment to moving the embassy to Jerusalem and returning Colombia to a pro-Israel posture.
The pledge marks a dramatic shift from his predecessor's policies. Israel's Foreign Ministry already described his victory as a "strategic shift" for South America, and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar spoke with de la Espriella to congratulate him. The new president is expected to be sworn in this August.
No timeline for the embassy move or official confirmation from the Israeli government has been released yet.
3 developments
- DevelopingFM Sa'ar congratulates Colombia's de la Espriella on presidential win
- StrongIsrael's Foreign Ministry hails Colombia's de la Espriella win as 'strategic shift'
- DevelopingColombia president-elect de la Espriella vows no ties with nations disrespecting democracy
- StrongColombia President de la Espriella reinforces pledge for 'stronger than ever' Israel ties
Source and signal
- Internal intake