“Abelardo de la Espriella says he will “restore” Colombia’s relationship with Israel”

“n

Bogota.- Far-right politician Abelardo de la Espriella, winner of Colombia’s presidential elections according to the preliminary count, assured this Wednesday that he will restore Colombia’s relationship with Israel, which has been broken since May 1, 2024, by the decision of current President Gustavo Petro.

n” “n

“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 a firm ally,” expressed De la Espriella on X after speaking by phone with the Israeli Foreign Minister, Gideon Saar.

n” “n

Saar, for his part, wrote on X: “I congratulated him on his important election victory, a victory that brings hope and possibility for a better future for Colombia and its citizens, and I wished him much success”.

n” “n

According to Saar, De la Espriella conveyed his commitment to “an alliance between Israel and Colombia that is stronger than ever”.

n” “n

“I also highlighted our firm desire to consolidate this alliance for the benefit of both peoples,” adds the Israeli minister in his message.

n” “n

Last Sunday, De la Espriella obtained 12.9 million votes (49.66%) in the second round of the presidential elections against the nearly 12.7 million votes (48.70%) achieved by the leftist Iván Cepeda, of the Historic Pact, Petro’s political party.

n” “n

Tensions between Israel and the Petro Government

n” “n

The arrival of Abelardo De la Espriella to power in Colombia will change the relationship between both countries, which has been broken since May 1, 2024, when Petro, a staunch defender of the Palestinian cause, made the decision to sever it in the face of that country’s offensive in Gaza and following the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023.

n” “n

President Petro also banned the sale of coal to Israel last year, although in recent months he has claimed that ships carrying the mineral continue to depart for the Middle Eastern nation, which he considers a “defiance” of his government.

n” “n

We recommend reading: Abelardo de la Espriella announces that Colombia will join the “Shield of the Americas” promoted by Trump

n” “n

In that sense, De la Espriella met in November of last year, when he was a presidential candidate, with Saar and expressed to him the “imperious need” to resume bilateral ties.

n” “n

The far-right politician then stated that if he won the elections, he would move the Colombian Embassy to Jerusalem, following in the footsteps of United States President Donald Trump, who also supported his candidacy.

n” “n

During his first term, Trump broke the international consensus by considering Jerusalem the Israeli capital and moving his embassy to that city, where there were no diplomatic missions following the Israeli annexation -in 1980- of the eastern part of occupied Palestine, contrary to UN resolutions.

n”