+972 reports:

On Aug. 10, just three days after taking office, Colombia’s new government under President Abelardo de la Espriella formally recognized Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights. The announcement was all the more conspicuous coming on the same day that Colombia confronted one the largest earthquakes in its recent history, which killed more than 300 people and left extensive damage across the country.

Even before taking office, de la Espriella’s incoming administration had agreed with Israel to restore full diplomatic relations, move Colombia’s embassy to Jerusalem, resume coal exports, and withdraw from South Africa’s case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) accusing Israel of genocide as well as from the Hague Group. De la Espriella has also announced that Colombia would renege on its plans to open an embassy in Palestine, and vowed to “never stop defending Israel because it is the people of God.”

These moves have signaled a remarkable diplomatic reversal. Until recently, Colombia had been one of the clearest examples of a very different trend in Latin America.

During the Israeli genocide on Gaza, several left-wing and social-democratic governments sharply criticized Israeli policies, withdrew ambassadors from Tel Aviv, joined South Africa’s ICJ case, and pressed the International Criminal Court (ICC) to accelerate investigations into alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Palestine. Some also joined meetings of the Hague Group, which called for coordinated accountability measures in response to systematic Israeli violations of international law.

But recent elections have brought right-wing, far-right and populist leaders to power across a growing number of countries, including Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and Honduras. A Latin American diplomatic tradition long grounded, at least formally, in international law is shifting toward a more transactional politics: closer alignment with Israel and endorsement of its political narratives in exchange for deeper military and security cooperation, as well as the potential for stronger relations with Washington. [Continue reading…]