OMM Newsroom
Thousands of people protested across Colombia on Wednesday against Israel’s war in Gaza and the government’s decision to open an embassy in Jerusalem, marking a significant change in the country’s foreign policy.
In Bogotá, hundreds of students, social movement activists and other demonstrators marched with Palestinian flags, denouncing President Abelardo de la Espriella’s decision to restore diplomatic relations with Israel.
The nationwide demonstrations opposed the conservative president’s foreign and domestic policies, including efforts to strengthen ties with Israel and align more closely with US President Donald Trump’s administration.
Protesters carried banners reading “We are not your backyard” and chanted slogans including “No to American interventionism” and “Zionists out, Gringos out, Abelardo out.” Some demonstrators in Bogotá also burned a US flag.
The protests coincided with the official opening of Colombia’s embassy in Jerusalem. The move reverses the previous administration’s decision to sever diplomatic relations with Israel.
De la Espriella took office in August and restored ties that former President Gustavo Petro had cut in 2024 over Israel’s war in Gaza. His administration also reinstated a free trade agreement with Israel that had been suspended under Petro.
Colombian Foreign Minister Omar Bula attended the embassy’s inauguration ceremony in Jerusalem, calling it a step towards strengthening bilateral relations. He said diplomatic ties between the two countries “should never have been broken.”
“Israel is a strategic partner. It always has been, and from now on, it will be an even stronger one,” Bula said. He described the embassy opening as “a concrete step towards fully restoring bilateral relations.”
Palestinian officials condemned the inauguration, saying the decision undermined international law and damaged Colombia’s longstanding diplomatic position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
