Palestine embassy in Colombia plan put on hold by president-elect
Abelardo de la Espriella will halt a planned Palestinian embassy, reopen Colombia’s Jerusalem mission and close 15 embassies, Al Jazeera reports.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
2 min read
The Palestine embassy Colombia had planned to open will be put on hold by President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella, Al Jazeera reported on July 28, 2026. The move is part of a wider shift in Colombia’s diplomatic posture that also includes reopening an embassy in Jerusalem and closing 15 other embassies.
Al Jazeera described de la Espriella as a far-right president-elect. His announced changes point to a sharp adjustment in how Colombia will represent itself abroad once his administration takes power.
What is changing in Colombia’s embassy plans?
According to Al Jazeera, de la Espriella has outlined three main embassy decisions: he will suspend the plan for a Palestinian embassy, reopen Colombia’s embassy in Jerusalem and shut 15 additional embassies. The report did not name the 15 embassies marked for closure.
- Plans to open a Palestinian embassy will be suspended.
- Colombia’s embassy in Jerusalem will be reopened.
- Fifteen other Colombian embassies will be closed.
An embassy is a country’s main diplomatic office in another country or location, and decisions to open, close or move one are formal signals of foreign policy. In this case, Al Jazeera reported that the changes are being presented as part of a broader foreign policy reset by the incoming Colombian leader.
The Jerusalem embassy decision is one of the clearest elements of the shift identified in the report. Reopening that mission would reverse the status implied by the current announcement, while the suspension of the Palestinian embassy plan would halt a separate diplomatic opening.
Al Jazeera did not report further details on the timing of the embassy changes, the reasons for selecting the 15 embassies to be closed or whether the incoming government has set conditions for revisiting the Palestinian embassy plan. The announcement, as reported, centers on the direction of de la Espriella’s foreign policy before he takes office.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.