The election that could reshape Colombia’s relationship with Israel
As Colombia prepares for its upcoming presidential election on Sunday, Ivan Cepeda, a senator and human rights activist, represents the left’s bid to continue the political legacy of President Gustavo Petro.
His opponent, Abelardo de la Espriella, a Trump-endorsed lawyer, businessman, and iron-fisted populist, is meanwhile seeking to “rebuild the miracle homeland” from a more punitive, right-wing perspective.
De la Espriella won the first round of the race, held on 31 May, with 43.7 percent of the vote to 40.9 percent for Cepeda.
Core domestic issues include a persistent internal armed conflict, deep-rooted political corruption, and challenges in the economy and environment, and, as in many recent Latin American elections, Israel is also on the ballot.
Since October 2023, pink-wave politics have driven a wave of pro-Palestine solidarity across Latin America, but Colombia has emerged as Israel’s most vocal critic in the Americas, recalling its ambassador, suspending arms sales, halting coal exports, severing diplomatic ties, and co-founding The Hague Group.
“It is difficult to overstate the significance of Colombia’s stance internationally,” said Francesca Emanuele, a senior international policy associate at the Centre for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR).
“Colombia helped create political space for other governments to take stronger positions on Gaza and contributed to the growing international isolation of the Netanyahu government,” she told Middle East Eye.
