Full Breakdown
Colombia’s Diplomatic Pivot: Recognitions of Israel’s Golan Claim and Morocco’s Sahara Claim
8/10/2026, 7:59:42 PM
Core Event
In the first week of the new administration, Colombia announced two recognitions that reverse the foreign-policy course of the previous government. The Foreign Ministry declared that Colombia recognizes Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights and, in a meeting in Cali, affirmed that Colombia recognizes Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara. Both moves were announced on the same Monday and were presented as cornerstone decisions of President Abelardo de la Espriella’s government.
Background & Context
During President Gustavo Petro’s term, Colombia adopted a pro-Palestinian stance: it severed diplomatic ties with Israel, halted coal exports to Israel, supported the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) in the Western Sahara dispute, and pursued a United Nations case against Israel.
President de la Espriella, a right-leaning former criminal-lawyer, has framed his agenda around “historic alliances” with Israel and Morocco, aligning Colombia with the United States and other countries that have taken similar positions on these territories.
Key Figures & Groups
- Abelardo de la Espriella – President of Colombia.
- Gideon Sa’ar – Israeli Foreign Minister, who praised the Golan decision as “historic.”
- Nasser Bourita – Moroccan Foreign Minister, representing King Mohammed VI.
- Omar Bula Escobar – Colombian Foreign Minister, co-signatory of both recognitions.
- José Manuel Restrepo – Vice President, described the Sahara decision as a “new beginning” for bilateral ties.
Official Statements & Responses
The ministry linked the Golan decision to a meeting between Sa’ar and Colombian officials the preceding Saturday, noting that Colombia now joins the United States, which recognized the Golan in 2019.
In the Sahara announcement, Bourita called Colombia’s recognition “historic” and a “new page” in relations. Bula Escobar affirmed the withdrawal of recognition of the SADR and endorsement of Morocco’s sovereignty over the entire Sahara.
Data & Statistics
- Colombia becomes the second UN member state to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, after the United States.
- Morocco controls about 80 % of Western Sahara, with the remainder claimed by the SADR and the Polisario Front.
- Both recognitions were announced on the same Monday, shortly after de la Espriella’s inauguration.
Why It Matters / Impact
The twin recognitions signal a rapid realignment of Colombia’s foreign policy toward the pro-Israel, pro-Morocco camp. By joining the United States and Israel on the Golan issue, Colombia positions itself for deeper security and intelligence cooperation with Israel, including technology transfers in agriculture, water management, and cyber defense.
The Sahara decision aligns Colombia with Morocco’s “autonomy under sovereignty” proposal, potentially opening trade routes through Morocco’s Tanger Med port and expanding Colombian exports to African and European markets. It also ends Colombia’s support for the SADR, which may affect relations with countries that back Sahrawi self-determination.
Overall, the moves illustrate the new administration’s shift from ideological foreign-policy experiments to pragmatic partnerships that promise economic, security, and diplomatic benefits. The durability of this shift will depend on the implementation of bilateral working groups and concrete outcomes of the announced cooperation.
