Warming relations: Israel and Colombia agree on mutual visa exemption
The cancellation of visa requirements with Bogota marks a dramatic shift, but is part of a much broader change. The strengthening of right-wing leaders, Venezuela's exit from the Iranian axis, and Israeli aid during natural disasters have led to unprecedented rapprochement. How did Latin America become the central target of Israeli diplomacy?
Israel and Colombia have decided on a mutual exemption from entry visas, which will take effect starting September 1st. The decision marks a clear policy change and cancels the measure promoted by the previous government in Colombia, under which a visa requirement was imposed.
The agreement on the cancellation of visas was reached following talks between the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gideon Sa'ar, and his Colombian counterpart, Foreign Minister Omar de la Escobar. The agreement comes as a direct continuation of the first political meeting of the new President of Colombia, Abelardo de la Espriella, which he chose to hold with Foreign Minister Sa'ar in the city of Barranquilla, a day before his inauguration. At this meeting, Minister Sa'ar thanked the president for his decision to move the Colombian embassy to Jerusalem.
The current agreement constitutes another layer in the improvement of relations between the countries since the establishment of the new administration in Bogota. As part of this warming, a rescue and humanitarian aid delegation was sent from Israel to Colombia following the earthquake that struck the country, which included about 80 personnel.
Warming of relations with Latin American countries
The developments with Colombia are part of a broad and deep geopolitical shift that has been sweeping Latin America over the last two years, and is bringing the entire continent closer to Jerusalem. After years in which the region was dominated by the "pink tide" of left-wing governments, a sharp movement to the right and the rise of pro-Israeli and Western leaders is being recorded.
The "blue wave" trend, which gained momentum with the election of Javier Milei in Argentina and enjoys tailwinds from the Trump administration, has spread to a long line of countries – including Peru, Chile, Ecuador, Bolivia, Panama, and Honduras – against the backdrop of public dissatisfaction with the economic and security situation.
The regional shift has yielded a series of unprecedented diplomatic breakthroughs. Alongside the moves of Colombia – which became the first country other than the USA to recognize Israeli sovereignty on the Golan Heights, and announced the transfer of its embassy to Jerusalem and the renewal of coal exports – a significant strategic achievement was also recorded with Venezuela.
The change of government in Caracas with the departure of Nicolas Maduro and the rise of President Delcy Rodriguez opened a window of opportunity that led to the announcement of the renewal of consular relations, a step marking Venezuela's transition from a stronghold of the Iranian axis towards the Western axis.
Israeli aid diplomacy played a key role in accelerating contacts, when Israel rushed to send rescue and humanitarian aid delegations following the deadly earthquakes that struck the region. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar placed Latin America at the center of the Foreign Ministry's activity for 2026, and the ministry is working intensively to deepen, institutionalize, and cement the diplomatic achievements and new agreements, with the goal of ensuring the durability of the ties even against future political fluctuations on the continent.
Alongside the clear drift towards Jerusalem, the challenge posed by Brazil stands out – where President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva leads a hostile line towards Israel that has left relations between the countries shaky. However, the strengthening of the pro-Israeli wave in most countries of the region illustrates the deep change in the balance of diplomatic power on the continent, and makes Latin America one of the most fertile arenas of diplomatic activity for Israel.
