Petro has fallen - and with him the PA: The cleaning of the stables of the elected president of Colombia
After the deterioration in relations led by the current president, Gustavo Petro, who expelled the Israeli ambassador and opened an embassy in Palestine, the elected president promised "strengthening the presence in places where there are strategic opportunities." Now he is fulfilling it: this is the first step he is taking for Israel.
First statements, now decisions: Following the general change of direction of his country regarding Israel, the elected president of Colombia, Abelardo de la Espriella, has made two significant decisions for our region.
As part of what he called "strengthening the presence in places where there are strategic opportunities," the Colombian president decided to suspend the opening of the embassy in "Palestine" and simultaneously promote the reopening of the embassy in Jerusalem. The pair of decisions, made in Latin America, indicates a 180-degree turnaround in Colombia's attitude toward the Jewish state compared to recent years.
Against the backdrop of the war in Gaza in 2024, the Israeli ambassador was expelled from Colombia along with the military attaché, and the level of relations was downgraded. Almost simultaneously, the then-president Gustavo Petro announced the festive opening of an embassy in Palestine and appointed an ambassador who was stationed in Ramallah.
A new spirit
The opening of the embassy has not occurred since, and at the moment it has been permanently taken off the table. This is a direct result of the change of government in the country and the renewal of relations with Israel by Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, who recently met with his counterpart and agreed with him on the opening of the embassy in Jerusalem in August. This week he also signed the appointment of an ambassador to Colombia, Vivian Aisen, and she is expected to land in the country soon.
Professional sources testify to the importance of tightening relations with Colombia, which is also an important member of the UN Security Council that led resolutions against Israel. This is a country of 50 million people, with historical ties to Israel in terms of security, to the point of Israeli responsibility for building the Colombian Air Force, sources familiar with the matter told "HaYom".
"Blue wave"
In recent years, Colombia was part of the radical left axis in Latin America, which is undergoing a significant change - a "blue wave" of electing right-wing governments with a positive attitude toward the USA and Israel. It joins Bolivia, Honduras, Chile, Peru, Milei's Argentina, and Costa Rica.
As mentioned, in continuation of the moves led by Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar to restore relations between Israel and Colombia, he met just recently with the designated Foreign Minister of Colombia, Omar Bola Escobar. At the meeting, a roadmap for the full renewal of diplomatic relations between Israel and Colombia was agreed upon.
