Nadene Goldfoot
Colombia inaugurated its new embassy in central Jerusalem today. The ceremony was attended by Colombian Foreign Minister Omar Bula Escobar, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion and Colombia's newly appointed ambassador to Israel, Tania Gilinski. Colombian Foreign Minister Bula Escobar described the opening as a new chapter in relations between the countries, emphasizing Colombia's commitment to restoring political dialogue and expanding their strategic partnership --
"We are renewing relations with greater strength, rebuilding our strategic partnership and reinforcing Colombia's presence in Israel. Relations between our countries should never have been damaged." He added, "Israel is a strategic partner. It always has been, and from now on it will be even more so." Colombia is the 10th country to open an embassy in Jerusalem.
- New Leadership: The move was led by the new conservative President Abelardo de la Espriella, who assumed office in August 2026. His father, a lawyer by profession, served as a magistrate at the Administrative Tribunal of Córdoba. His mother, María Eugenia Otero Aldana, comes from a family of cattle ranchers with ties to local politics.
- Reversal of Ties: De la Espriella reversed the policy of former President Gustavo Petro, who had severed diplomatic relations with Israel in May 2024 over the war in Gaza. Gustavo Francisco Petro Urrego (born 19 April 1960) is a Colombian politician and economist. He is considered the first, and so far only, left-wing president in the recent history of Colombia.
- Petro condemned Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip during the Gaza war and accused Israel of committing genocide against the Palestinians. Petro expressed outrage after the 13 July 2024 al-Mawasi airstrikes, and he was one of the very first world leaders to condemn the Israeli blockade on Gaza immediately following the 7 October attacks.
Colombia formally supported South Africa's case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. In May 2024, Colombia suspended diplomatic relations with Israel. Subsequently, Colombia announced the opening of a diplomatic mission in Ramallah, headed by an ambassador to Palestine (not created as yet). In July 2025, Colombia was reported to have promoted an agreement with other nations to cease purchasing weapons from Israeli companies.
Petro's stance escalated significantly in September 2025 during the UN General Assembly. In his speech, he declared that diplomacy had failed and called for the formation of a "powerful army" from countries that "do not accept genocide" to "liberate Palestine". He argued that "words are no longer enough" and invoked the spirit of Simón Bolívar's "liberty or death".
On 22 August 2026, Petro stated on Instagram that Esperiella's restoration of ties to Israel "applauds the Gaza genocide," That means he agreed with the inhumane slaughter attack on Oct. 7th 2023. This is unbelievable !!!!!
A few days later, at a pro-Palestinian rally in New York, he repeated this call and urged U.S. soldiers to "disobey the orders of Trump". In response, the U.S. State Department revoked his visa, calling his actions "reckless and incendiary". Petro condemned this decision, stating it "breaks all the norms of immunity" for UN attendees. Alliance with the new President Abelardo de la Espriella (August 2026): Following the victory of conservative lawyer and Trump admirer Abelardo de la Espriella, the U.S.–Colombia relationship underwent a complete reversal. De la Espriella abandoned Petro's "total peace" negotiation strategy with armed groups in favor of a hardline crackdown on cartels.
- Free Trade Agreement: Alongside the embassy opening, Colombia reinstated its bilateral free trade agreement with Israel.
The 9 other countries are: As of September 2026, 9 countries maintain full embassies to Israel in Jerusalem:
- Fiji, Guatemala, Honduras,Kosovo, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Somaliland, (independence recognized solely by Israel) and United States .
