Colombia's President-elect De la Espriella receives international congratulations

Colombia's president-elect Abelardo de la Espriella has received congratulations from several world leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, following his narrow victory in the June 21 runoff election Source: infobae, lasillavacia. De la Espriella won with 49.66% of the vote, defeating Iván Cepeda Source: infobae. Trump stated that the relationship with Colombia will be "much better" under De la Espriella and confirmed a phone call where the president-elect thanked him for support Source: lasillavacia. Netanyahu expressed eagerness to strengthen ties, and Sa'ar invited De la Espriella to visit Israel Source: infobae, lasillavacia. This outreach signals a potential shift from the strained relations under outgoing President Gustavo Petro, who broke diplomatic ties with Israel in May 2024 over the Gaza conflict Source: infobae. Petro responded harshly on social media, accusing Israel of genocide and warning that supporting genocidal actions leads to their repetition Source: infobae. De la Espriella has previously indicated he would restore relations and possibly move the Colombian embassy to Jerusalem Source: infobae. The contrasting positions highlight a deep divide in Colombia's foreign policy direction.