Colombia president-elect to open Israel embassy in Jerusalem

Colombia president-elect to open Israel embassy in Jerusalem

Colombia's hard-right president-elect plans to open an embassy in Jerusalem as he seeks to restore and strengthen ties with Israel, his office said on Thursday.

Abelardo de la Espriella won last month's presidential runoff by less than a percentage point and has promised to clamp down on Colombia's myriad armed groups – partly by forging a military alliance with the United States and Israel.

In 2024, leftist President Gustavo Petro severed ties with Israel, one of Colombia's key security partners, over its war on Gaza.

De la Espriella, backed by US President Donald Trump, will take office on 7 August and has pledged to restore ties with Israel.

The incoming government is moving forward with "the opening of the Colombian Embassy in Jerusalem, the capital of Israel," his office stated on Thursday. ...