Governments in a number of Latin American countries are strengthening or resuming diplomatic ties with Israel. In Colombia, the new administration of President Abelardo de la Esprieylla has reversed the decision by the previous government of Gustavo Petro to sever diplomatic relations with Israel. Venezuela and Israel have also agreed to establish a mechanism for resuming consular services, according to Deutsche Welle.
De la Esprieylla announced his intention to move the Colombian embassy to Jerusalem. In addition, he stated that Colombia would join the United States in recognizing “Israeli sovereignty” over the Golan Heights. Under international law, the Golan Heights are Syrian territory that Israel has occupied since 1967; the UN, Germany, and most of the international community do not recognize Israel’s annexation of this territory.
Isaac Caro, a professor at Alberto Hurtado University in Chile, linked the rapprochement between some Latin American countries and Israel to the rise of radical right-wing forces in the region and their alignment with U.S. foreign policy. In his view, closer ties with Israel have become one of the hallmarks of the policies of the region’s far-right governments.
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Argentine President Javier Milei has made close relations with Israel one of the defining features of his foreign policy. Daniel Weiner, an associate professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, noted that diplomatic contacts between Israel and Latin American governments have intensified. According to him, both sides are interested in legitimacy, cooperation, and influence, particularly in the fields of technology, cybersecurity, and defense.
In Bolivia, conservative President Rodrigo Paz, after taking office in 2025, restored relations with Israel, which the socialist government had severed in 2023. Chile’s new president, José Antonio Kast, according to DW, seeks to resume defense cooperation with Israel.
At the same time, Brazil, led by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, maintains a critical stance toward Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has also criticized Israel’s actions in Gaza but maintains diplomatic relations with Israel.
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