Full story
Petro vs Israel
Colombia’s outgoing President Gustavo Petro, an ardent critic of Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, has described what he says is happening in Gaza as “genocide,” a charge Israel denies, and his government severed diplomatic ties and suspended the purchase of weaponry from Israel.
“Colombia’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”
Petro’s Gaza stance is tied to a broader diplomatic rupture with Tel Aviv, and Al Jazeera says Petro accused Israel of genocide and called for an international force to liberate Palestine, including writing on November 1, 2023 that “It is called genocide; they are doing it to drive the Palestinian people out of Gaza and take the territory for themselves.”
Al Jazeera also reports that Israel responded to Petro’s statements by halting security exports to Colombia and denounced Petro’s words as anti-Semitic, while it notes that Petro compared Yoav Gallant’s “human animals” remark to Nazi rhetoric in October 2023.
In parallel, The Times of Israel reports that Colombia’s president-elect Abelardo de la Espriella vowed that Colombia and Israel will share a relationship “like never before” once he takes office, as he prepares to reverse Petro’s decisions and strengthen ties with Jerusalem.
The Times of Israel adds that de la Espriella posted on X after a phone call with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, saying “Colombia will restore and strengthen its relationship with the State of Israel like never before.”
Election row
Petro’s Gaza-driven hostility toward Israel has spilled into Colombia’s politics, with Orinoco Tribune saying Petro accused “Israel” of hacking Colombia’s presidential election and calling for a full recount after he alleged changes to election servers allowed outsiders to manipulate voting data.
Orinoco Tribune reports that Petro said there was evidence that “others entered data for polling stations and voting centers,” and he argued that “The only entity in the world with the capacity to do that is the state of Israel.”
Daily Sabah frames the same dispute as a political storm, saying Petro alleged foreign interference and digital manipulation and that authorities rejected the claims while preliminary results showed Abelardo de la Espriella winning with 49.66% against 48.7% for Senator Ivan Cepeda.
Al Jazeera’s account ties the accusations to the strained relationship between Petro and Tel Aviv that peaked with Colombia severing diplomatic ties over the latest war in Gaza, and it says Petro refused to acknowledge preliminary results while calling for a comprehensive judicial investigation.
Al Jazeera also reports that Attorney General Gregorio Eliash said there is “no evidence of electoral fraud after counting more than 99% of the votes,” as the dispute continues while Colombia awaits final certification.
What comes next
As de la Espriella prepares to take office, Al Jazeera says he pledged to restore relations with Israel after diplomatic ties were severed over the “genocidal campaign in Gaza,” and it describes his congratulatory call with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar.
“The outgoing president has suggested that election software was compromised and called for a full recount”
Al Jazeera quotes de la Espriella writing to Saar: “Colombia will restore and strengthen its relationship with the State of Israel like never before,” and it says Saar called him “a true friend of the Jewish people and the state of Israel” while expressing hope the alliance would be “stronger than ever”.
The Times of Israel adds that de la Espriella’s campaign promised to strengthen Colombia’s ties to the United States and Israel, and it says he will take the reins from Petro in August.
Al Jazeera reports that Petro’s Gaza criticism had already produced concrete consequences for Colombia’s military supply, saying Israel had been one of the primary suppliers for the Colombian government’s military equipment and security technology, including missiles and firearms.
Al Jazeera concludes that with Israel’s exports ended, Colombia’s state-owned military manufacturer, Indumil, has begun producing military-grade rifles domestically, with mass production slated for late 2026, as the Gaza-driven diplomatic shift sets the stage for a new foreign-policy direction.
