MIAMI — Colombian President-elect Abelardo De la Espriella plans to restore the South American country’s relations with Israel when he takes office in August.
Gideon Sa’ar, Israel’s foreign minister, announced on Wednesday in Hebrew that he had a phone conversation with De La Espriella, whom he referred to as a “true friend of the Jewish people” and Israel.
“The president-elect reiterated in our conversation his commitment, which he also expressed during his country’s election campaign, to the alliance between Israel and Colombia that will be stronger than ever,” Sa’ar wrote on X in Hebrew.
De la Espriella, 47, who has said he planned to open a Colombian embassy in Jerusalem, responded to Sa’ar’s post in both English and Spanish on X.
“Colombia will restore and strengthen its relationship with the State of Israel like never before,” De la Espriella wrote. “Israel can count on Colombia as a loyal friend and steadfast ally. May God bless our two nations.”
During his campaign, De la Espriella, who identified as a former atheist who converted to Catholicism, connected with pastors from megachurches and had the backing of Christian-right political parties.
Colombia recognized Israel’s statehood in 1949 and opened an embassy in Tel Aviv in 1957. A free trade agreement between the two countries went into effect in 2020. President Gustavo Petro changed that.
During the Israel-Hamas war, Petro accused Israel of genocide, recalled Colombia’s diplomatic delegation in 2024, and announced the end of the free trade agreement earlier this year.
Iván Cepeda, the left-wing candidate who had Petro’s support and endorsement, conceded to De la Espriella, who defeated him by 1 percentage point, or about 251,000 votes.
De la Espriella, who has U.S. and Colombian citizenship, celebrated his victory as “El Tigre” on Sunday night in Barranquilla. Cepeda, 63, and Petro, 66, demanded a recount and pushed for more scrutiny.
“We will exercise a democratic, vigilant, and constructive opposition,” Cepeda said during his concession speech.
De la Espriella also plans to have Colombia join Trump’s “Shield of the Americas,” also known as the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition, or ACCC, after he is sworn in as the 48th president on Aug. 7 in Bogotá.
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