The aspiring President of Colombia, Abelardo de la Espriella, announced this Wednesday that he will "restore and strengthen" diplomatic ties with Israel, in the run-up to the official confirmation of his victory in last Sunday's elections against Iván Cepeda, who has already publicly admitted his defeat.
"Colombia will restore and strengthen its relationship with the State of Israel like never before. Israel can count on Colombia as a loyal friend and a firm ally," De la Espriella replied to the congratulatory message sent by Israel's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gideon Saar.
The head of Israeli diplomacy explained on his social networks that he had conveyed his congratulations to De la Espriella, whom he described as "president-elect," despite the result not yet being officially proclaimed, and as "a true friend of the Jewish people and the State of Israel."
"I congratulated him on his important victory in the elections, a victory that generates hope and possibility for a better future for Colombia and its citizens, and I wished him much success," said Saar, to whom De la Espriella reiterated his desire for the alliance between both countries to "be stronger than ever."
Although the count was very close, since Monday, congratulations from various international leaders have been pouring in for De la Espriella on his triumph, including the President of the United States, Donald Trump, as well as several Ibero-American leaders, such as Argentina's Javier Milei and Chile's José Antonio Kast.
The National Electoral Council (CNE) announced this Wednesday that between Thursday and Friday it will reveal the name of Colombia's new president-elect, which points to the far-right candidate Abelardo de la Espriella, after the Attorney General's Office confirmed that the scrutiny and pre-count data coincide by 99.997%.