Colombia's newly elected president Ricardo Espriella, elected on June 21, announced he will make sweeping changes in foreign policy. The right-wing leader set out his plans for the first 100 days in office in a video posted on the US-based social media platform X.
Espriella's most striking pledge was to reopen Colombia's embassy in Jerusalem. "I will reopen the Colombian Embassy in Jerusalem, which was one of my campaign promises," Espriella said, adding that this move will be a concrete step toward normalizing relations with Israel. He also said he would suspend the plan to open an embassy in Palestine launched under his predecessor Gustavo Petro, and claimed the diplomatic mission never became operational.
Colombia to sever ties with Cuba and Nicaragua
Espriella announced another radical shift in foreign policy regarding Cuba and Nicaragua. The president-elect, who was unequivocal that he will sever diplomatic ties with these two countries, justified the decision by saying, "My government will have no ties with tyrannies."
Embassies in 14 countries to close
Espriella announced that embassies in 14 countries will be closed to save costs in the diplomatic structure. The countries include Algeria, Azerbaijan, Barbados, Czechia, Ethiopia, Ghana, Haiti, Hungary, Malaysia, Romania, Senegal, South Africa, as well as Cuba and Nicaragua. However, Espriella emphasized that diplomatic relations will be maintained with the 12 countries other than Cuba and Nicaragua.
To save resources and reduce bureaucracy, he announced that the French Embassy in Paris and the permanent delegation to UNESCO, as well as the Italian Embassy in Rome and the delegation to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), will be merged under a single center. Espriella described the current situation as "nonsense."
Inauguration venue changed
Espriella announced that the venue for the swearing-in ceremony planned for August 7 has been changed. Citing climatic conditions, the ceremony will now take place in the city of Cali in the Valle del Cauca region instead of the Popayan military garrison in Cauca province. Current President Gustavo Petro said on July 25 that he would not allow Espriella to be sworn in at any military garrison.
Ties cut under Petro
Espriella's statements represent a sharp break from the policies of his predecessor Petro. Colombia cut diplomatic ties with Israel on May 3, 2024, citing attacks on the Palestinian people in Gaza, and President Petro ordered the opening of an embassy in Ramallah on May 23, 2024. Petro previously described Espriella's pledge to restore ties with Israel as an "insult to national honor."
