Latin America's right-wing leaders warm ties with Israel, aligning with Trump's foreign policy
Several Latin American governments have recently restored or strengthened relations with Israel, a shift analysts link to the region's rising radical right and closer alignment with US foreign policy. Brazil and, to a lesser extent, Mexico remain more critical or neutral.
In recent months, several Latin American countries have reversed course on Israel, restoring diplomatic ties that had been severed over the war in Gaza. Venezuela and Israel have agreed on a mechanism to resume consular services — a limited step that would have seemed unthinkable a decade ago, after Venezuela expelled Israel's ambassador in 2009 under then-president Hugo Chavez in protest of Israel's military offensive in Gaza.
In Colombia, new President Abelardo de la Espriella has reversed his predecessor Gustavo Petro's decision to cut relations with Israel, which was made in response to the country's most recent war in Gaza that killed more than 70,000 people. De la Espriella has announced plans to move Colombia's embassy to Jerusalem and to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, territory that the international community, including Germany and the UN, considers Syrian land occupied by Israel.
Political backdrop
Analysts say the rapprochement with Israel across the region is tied to the rise of the radical right and a desire to signal alignment with the foreign policy of US President Donald Trump. Cited examples include Argentina's Javier Milei, Bolivia's new President Rodrigo Paz, and Chile's Jose Antonio Kast, who is seeking to revive defense cooperation with Israel. Earlier movers in this direction included former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and El Salvador's Nayib Bukele.
Not all of the region's major powers are following this trend, however. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva remains sharply critical of Israel's actions in Gaza and the West Bank, while Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has tried to strike a neutral balance, criticizing Israel while maintaining diplomatic relations.
For Israel, ties with Latin America carry more than symbolic value, spanning migration, trade and security cooperation, as well as regional support in bodies such as the United Nations.
