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The election is expected to have major implications for Colombia’s relationship with Israel.
By United with Israel Staff
Criminal defense attorney Abelardo de la Espriella has won Colombia’s presidential election following a closely contested runoff against left-wing Senator Iván Cepeda, marking a dramatic political shift that could reshape the country’s relationship with Israel and the United States.
According to official results, with more than 99 percent of ballots counted, de la Espriella secured approximately 50 percent of the vote, narrowly defeating Cepeda and ending four years of left-wing rule under President Gustavo Petro, Colombia’s first leftist president.
The victory returns Colombia to conservative leadership and continues a broader trend of right-wing gains across Latin America during U.S. President Donald Trump’s second term. Trump publicly backed de la Espriella during the campaign and congratulated him after the results were announced, saying he had “won big.”
Known throughout Colombia as “El Tigre” (“The Tiger”), de la Espriella celebrated the victory by declaring that “we defeated the regime.” Cepeda said he would accept the preliminary results while awaiting the completion of the vote count and emphasized that his political movement remains a major force in Colombian politics.
Outgoing President Gustavo Petro, meanwhile, alleged after the vote count was completed that Israel had interfered in the election on behalf of the conservative candidate, though he did not immediately provide evidence to support the claim.
The election is expected to have major implications for Colombia’s relationship with Israel. During the campaign, de la Espriella pledged to restore close ties with Jerusalem and promised to move Colombia’s embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem if elected.
Israel quickly welcomed the result. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar congratulated the president-elect in a post on X, writing, “The Tiger won, Colombia won.”
Sa’ar said he looked forward to working with de la Espriella “to revitalize relations between Israel and Colombia and bring them to the highest level in their history.” He also revealed that he had invited the president-elect to visit Israel and said he hoped to welcome him to Jerusalem in the near future.
The election represents a potential reversal of one of the most significant diplomatic ruptures Israel has faced in Latin America in recent years.
Under Petro, Colombia became one of Israel’s most vocal critics in the Western Hemisphere. In 2024, his government severed diplomatic relations with Israel, opened an embassy in Ramallah, joined South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, and repeatedly accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza.
Cepeda, a leading figure in Petro’s political camp, was widely expected to continue many of those policies had he been elected. Throughout the campaign, he echoed criticism of Israel’s military operations in Gaza and aligned himself with the broader anti-Israel positions increasingly adopted by several left-wing governments in Latin America.
De la Espriella took the opposite approach, campaigning on rebuilding ties with both Israel and the United States while pursuing a tougher stance against organized crime, drug cartels, and armed groups operating across Colombia.
The election campaign unfolded amid significant political violence, including attacks on political figures, growing security concerns, and mounting criticism of Petro’s handling of crime and armed insurgencies.
For Israel, however, the result may prove most significant on the diplomatic front. A de la Espriella presidency is expected to open the door to renewed cooperation between Jerusalem and Bogotá after two years of steadily deteriorating relations, potentially restoring one of Israel’s most important partnerships in Latin America.
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