It will close embassies in Cuba and Nicaragua and restore diplomatic relations with the United States and Israel,
Colombia’s President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella plans to close embassies in Cuba and Nicaragua, restore diplomatic relations with the United States and Israel, and review the country’s participation in international organizations. Photo by Mauricio Duenas Castaneda/EPA
The incoming Colombian government announced a shift in its foreign policy that will include closing embassies in Cuba and Nicaragua, restoring diplomatic relations with the United States and Israel, and reviewing the country’s participation in international organizations.
Omar Bula Escobar, the foreign minister-designate appointed by President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella, said the new administration, which is to take office Aug. 7, will prioritize relations with countries that share “Western values,” while maintaining a more pragmatic approach toward other nations.
The future foreign minister said Colombia will no longer maintain embassies in Cuba and Nicaragua because keeping diplomatic missions in governments he considers dictatorships amounts to legitimizing them.
“For me, an embassy in a dictatorship legitimizes the dictatorship,” he said during an interview with Noticias Caracol.
By contrast, the government will seek to immediately restore diplomatic relations with the United States and Israel — one of the new administration’s top priorities.
Bula said Colombia had been one of Washington’s main allies for years and that working teams are preparing to restore those ties, while relations with Israel would officially resume on the day of the presidential inauguration, Noticias RCN reported.
Regarding Venezuela, the foreign minister-designate said the new government will seek to maintain “constructive” relations with the interim administration of Delcy Rodríguez, with the aim of strengthening bilateral trade, generating economic growth and addressing shared challenges such as organized crime along the border.
Bula also said Colombia will work with the United States on regional security matters.
According to Infobae, the partnership with Washington will be a central component of the strategy to combat criminal organizations operating across Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador.
The future head of Colombian diplomacy also said Venezuela’s political situation will require a gradual process.
As part of the foreign policy realignment, the new government will review Colombia’s participation in international organizations, such as the United Nations and the Organization of American States.
Bula said the administration will conduct a “thorough and rigorous” review of existing agreements to determine whether they serve the national interest and justify the resources Colombia allocates to those organizations, Cubadebate reported, citing statements the official made to Blu Radio.
The foreign minister-designate also announced that he will promote a modernization of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with an emphasis on economic diplomacy, commercial diplomacy and cyber diplomacy, according to Cubadebate.
