De la Espriella pledges to restore Colombia’s relations with Israel
Key takeaways
- The far-right president-elect has pledged to rebuild ties with Israel and the US following tensions under outgoing leader Gustavo Petro.
- On Wednesday, de la Espriella — the far-right political newcomer who emerged the victor in June 21’s run-off election — acknowledged he had taken a congratulatory call from Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar.
- “Thank you, my dear friend,” de la Espriella wrote to Saar in a social media exchange.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
The far-right president-elect has pledged to rebuild ties with Israel and the US following tensions under outgoing leader Gustavo Petro.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Candidate Abelardo de la Espriella greets supporters in Barranquilla, Colombia, after preliminary results showed him winning the June 21 presidential run-off election [Mauricio Duenas Castaneda/EPA]By Al Jazeera Staff Published On 24 Jun 202624 Jun 2026Colombia’s President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella has pledged to restore relations with Israel, after diplomatic ties were severed over the country’s genocidal campaign in Gaza.
On Wednesday, de la Espriella — the far-right political newcomer who emerged the victor in June 21’s run-off election — acknowledged he had taken a congratulatory call from Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar.