Israel’s Foreign Ministry published today (Thursday) a tender for the appointment of Israel’s next ambassador to Bogotá, Colombia. The move follows a phone call between Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and Colombia’s President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella, in which Sa’ar congratulated him on his election victory and the two agreed on a mutual commitment to immediately restore relations between the countries.
The preparation joins a warming trend in Israel’s relations with Latin American countries, after ties with Bolivia were restored last December following a two-decade break. Colombia was considered for years a historic and close ally of Israel on the continent, but the relationship was unilaterally severed in an announcement by outgoing President Gustavo Petro in May 2024.
Following the tensions, ambassadors from both countries were recalled home in June.
The early preparation for appointing an ambassador is designed to ensure relations return to their track and are elevated to a high level immediately after the new president’s inauguration on August 7.