Colombia has opened its embassy in Jerusalem and restored its free trade agreement with Israel, marking a dramatic reversal of its policy under its previous leader towards the Jewish state
The South American country became the 10th to establish an embassy in Jerusalem, with Colombian foreign minister Omar Bula Escobar attending the inauguration on Wednesday alongside his Israeli counterpart, Gideon Sa’ar.
The move follows the election of President Abelardo de la Espriella, who took office in August and has pledged to rebuild relations with Israel.
Former president Gustavo Petro severed diplomatic ties with Israel in May 2024 over its military campaign in Gaza, repeatedly criticising Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He also closed Colombia’s embassy in Tel Aviv and recalled its ambassador.
Israel condemned the decision at the time, describing it as antisemitic and accusing Petro of rewarding Hamas.
The free trade agreement, which Petro terminated, was reinstated on Tuesday.
Sa’ar welcomed the change, saying: “In just two months, we have reversed most of the negative consequences of the Petro administration for Israel-Colombia relations and have even broken new ground.”
He thanked de la Espriella for his determination to bring bilateral relations to an all-time high.
Most countries maintain their embassies in Tel Aviv, arguing that Jerusalem’s final status should be resolved through negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. Israel regards Jerusalem as its capital, while the Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state.
The United States moved its embassy to Jerusalem in 2018, followed by a small number of other countries, including Guatemala, Honduras and Paraguay.
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