Colombian Foreign Minister Omar Bula cuts a ribbon as Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar stands by during the opening of Colombia’s embassy in Jerusalem, Oct. 14, 2026. Photo: Rafi Ben Hakoon, GPO/Handout via REUTERS

Colombia opened its embassy in Jerusalem on Wednesday, becoming the 10th government to do so, as new President Abelardo De La Espriella reversed his predecessor’s break with Israel.

“Opening an embassy in Jerusalem is not only recognition of the simple political fact that Jerusalem is Israel‘s capital. It is also recognition of a historical truth that no honest person can deny,” Israel‘s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said.

Most countries maintain embassies to Israel in Tel Aviv. Various governments have relocated their embassies to Jerusalem since the US did so in 2018, including Guatemala, Honduras, Paraguay, and Somaliland.

“Today, we are taking a concrete step towards restoring diplomatic relations between our countries, relations that should never have been broken. Israel is a strategic partner. It always has been, and from now on, it will be an even stronger one,” Colombian Minister of Foreign Affairs Omar Bula said at the opening.

Israel‘s Foreign Ministry noted that Saar and Bula will hold bilateral talks on Wednesday. The Colombian Foreign Ministry said in a statement the meeting will focus on political dialogue, security and defense cooperation, the strengthening of trade, and new opportunities for investment.

On Tuesday, the free trade agreement terminated by former Colombian President Gustavo Petro was reinstated

Petro broke diplomatic relations with Israel in 2024 over its actions in Gaza and had heavily criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Petro also halted coal exports to Israel.

The former president closed Colombia‘s embassy in Tel Aviv and recalled its ambassador, a move Israel said was antisemitic and a reward for Hamas terrorists.

Right-winger De La Espriella became president in August.

Across Latin America, several governments moved to downgrade or sever diplomatic ties with Israel following the outbreak of the war in Gaza, as part of broader efforts to pressure and isolate the Jewish state over its defensive military campaign against the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas.

Now, a broader geopolitical shift is unfolding across Latin America, as a growing number of conservative governments seek closer ties with Israel, allowing the Jewish state to build on this emerging trend by expanding cooperation, strengthening alliances, and deepening bilateral relations throughout the region.

This growing momentum in Israel’s relations with Latin America builds on the expanding reach of the Isaac Accords, a framework signed earlier this year by Argentine President Javier Milei and Netanyahu to deepen ties with governments across the region while strengthening cooperation against antisemitism and terrorism.

Modeled after the Abraham Accords — a series of historic, US-brokered normalization agreements between Israel and several Arab countries — the new initiative aims to deepen political, economic, and cultural ties between the Jewish state and Latin American governments, with expanded cooperation in technology, security, innovation, trade, and economic development as countries across the region work together to address shared security challenges.

The Isaac Accords also seek to institutionalize expanding cooperation with Latin American partners through enhanced intelligence-sharing, security coordination, and joint law enforcement efforts targeting Iranian proxy networks and transnational criminal organizations operating across the hemisphere.