De la Espriella has said he will reverse these decisions, and one of his main campaign pledges was to form a military alliance with Washington and Tel Aviv [Cristian Acosta/Anadolu via Getty Images]
Colombia and Israel will share a relationship “like never before” once hard-right president-elect Abelardo de la Espriella takes office, he said Wednesday.
De la Espriella won Sunday’s runoff presidential vote by less than a percentage point and has promised to strengthen the South American country’s ties to the United States and Israel.
Bogota’s relations with Tel Aviv nosedived under Colombia’s first-ever leftist government led by President Gustavo Petro, an ardent critic of Israel’s bloody war on Gaza that has killed over 73,000 Palestinians.
Petro severed diplomatic ties, halted coal exports to the country and suspended the purchase of weaponry from Israel – formerly one of Colombia’s main military partners.
De la Espriella has said he will reverse these decisions, and one of his main campaign pledges was to form a military alliance with Washington and Tel Aviv.
“Colombia will restore and strengthen its relationship with the State of Israel like never before,” the millionaire lawyer posted on X following a phone call with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar.
White House-backed De la Espriella has never held public office before and will take the reins from Petro in August.
Colombia is enduring the worst levels of violence in a decade, and the president-elect won the election by vowing a heavy hand on the country’s myriad armed groups.
In an interview with AFP during the campaign, he said he would seek US and Israeli support to conduct bombing campaigns on guerrillas.
Experts consulted by AFP have cast doubt on De la Espriella’s ability to fulfill his promises.
He is taking the helm of a deeply divided country, with the political left – which won almost half the votes on Sunday – threatening massive protests against his policies.
