Latin America's Shifting Alliances: Why Countries Are Deepening Ties with Israel

The diplomatic landscape in Latin America is undergoing a significant transformation, marked by an increasing number of countries forging closer ties with Israel. This shift is particularly evident in the recent announcement by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar on October 8, highlighting Colombia's decision to move its embassy to Jerusalem. Saar emphasized the strategic importance of this move for Israel's diplomatic narrative, stating, ". We will work hard because this is the diplomatic battle over the truth. And the truth is, Jerusalem was always the capital of one nation."

Brazil is also being eyed as a potential next step, with the possibility of joining Colombia and other Latin American nations in relocating their embassies to Jerusalem, a city contested by both Israelis and Palestinians as their capital. This realignment is largely attributed to the rise of right-wing political parties across the region, with pro-Israel politicians leveraging their support for the nation to galvanize voters. Brazil, the region's largest economy, has seen the relationship with Israel become a central theme in its presidential election campaign. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, a left-wing figure known for his strong support of Palestine, faces a tight race against right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro. Bolsonaro has actively used Israeli flags at his campaign rallies and promoted his relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Following a surprisingly strong performance in the first round of voting, Bolsonaro is set to participate in a run-off election, potentially signaling a thaw in relations with Israeli officials like the foreign minister.

Further underscoring this trend, Colombia and Israel recently initiated a visa-free travel agreement for their citizens. This development, occurring shortly after the inauguration of President Abelardo de la Espriella's government, signals a desire to mend relations that were strained following Israel's conflict in Gaza. Experts suggest that this recalibration of foreign policy towards Israel is partly driven by new leaders seeking to align themselves with a broader regional trend, including perceived support from United States President Donald Trump. Additionally, significant lobbying efforts by Evangelical Christian groups and Israeli government-backed organizations in Latin America are playing a crucial role in encouraging support for Israel.

Marta Tawil Kuri, a Research Professor at the Center for International Studies at the College of Mexico, explains this phenomenon as a convergence of factors: "Right-wing leaderships seeking validation from Washington, evangelical bases giving them electoral and ideological grounding, and an Israeli diplomatic offensive that finds fertile ground in Latin America precisely as its image deteriorates elsewhere."

Colombia's former leader, Gustavo Petro, had previously severed ties with Israel, citing the war in Gaza. He halted coal exports to Israel, suspended military and security cooperation, and planned to establish a Colombian embassy in Palestine. Petro was vocal in his criticism of Israel, even using a UN summit in New York to participate in a protest against Trump and the war in Gaza. His successor, de la Espriella, has swiftly reversed this policy since taking office in August, announcing plans to relocate the embassy to Jerusalem, reinstate ambassadors, and recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights.

According to Kuri, strong presidential systems and less robust diplomatic corps in Latin America enable new heads of state to quickly alter foreign policy stances, such as those concerning Israel. "Unlike the US, where support for Israel has stayed relatively stable across administrations thanks to more consolidated institutions and bipartisan consensus, in much of Latin America foreign policy can swing sharply from one election to the next because that institutional buffer doesn’t exist," Kuri noted.

In 2023, Argentina elected Javier Milei, a right-wing populist, who pledged to move the embassy to Jerusalem, opposed Palestinian statehood at the UN, and declared himself "proud to be the most Zionist president in the world."

Bolivia's diplomatic relationship with Israel has also seen a reversal. The leftist administration of Evo Morales (2006-2019) maintained limited diplomatic ties, a stance continued by his successor Luis Arce, who recalled ambassadors from Israel after October 7, 2023. However, upon Arce's removal from office, his replacement, Rodrigo Paz, promptly reversed this policy. Similarly, Chilean President Jose Antonio Kast, who assumed office in August, undid his leftist predecessor's actions against Israel, appointing an ambassador who identifies as a "proud Zionist."

In Honduras, a right-wing leader replaced the left-wing government in January. The new President Nasry Asfura, whose maternal grandparents were Palestinian immigrants, also reappointed an ambassador to Israel this year. Venezuela announced in August the restoration of consular relations with Israel, ending nearly two decades of adversarial policy under former leaders Nicolas Maduro and Hugo Chavez.

Beyond embassy locations, some Latin American governments have supported legal actions against Israel concerning the Gaza war. Mexico, Bolivia, Colombia, Brazil, Chile, Belize, Cuba, and Nicaragua have, at various points, backed South Africa's genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.

The political alignment with Israel has been notably visible in election campaigns. Flavio Bolsonaro's presidential campaign launch in July featured Argentinian President Milei, with some attendees waving Israeli flags and Prime Minister Netanyahu sending a video message endorsing Bolsonaro as a friend and "great champion of the friendship between our peoples."

Alexander Main, Director of International Policy at the Center for Economic and Policy Research, described this level of foreign leader involvement in an election campaign as "unheard of in Latin America" and "not so overt" previously. Bolsonaro's campaign, according to experts, aims to align itself with a broader political movement led by Trump in the hemisphere and including Israel internationally. Some leaders, like Colombia's de la Espriella and Honduras's Asfura, have received direct endorsements from Trump. They have joined US-led right-wing alliances such as the Shield of the Americas, a security initiative focused on counter-narcotics.

This bloc, aligned with Trump's policy for the Western Hemisphere, seeks to counter the influence of global powers like China. Members of this group have also facilitated controversial US migration policies. Furthermore, they have framed their anti-narcotics efforts as a new form of "war on terror," drawing parallels with Israel's actions in the Palestinian territories, as noted by Main. "Before, you had left-wing politicians in these regions that have seen what has happened in Gaza and called that war crimes and human rights abuses," Main stated. "Now you’ve seen, on the other hand, sectors seeing this as an existential fight against a deep-rooted enemy and that merits a kind of war on terror framing."

Maintaining strong relations with Israel can also provide access to critical military and security resources, including advanced surveillance software like Pegasus and opportunities for military equipment sales or training.

The Isaac Accords, established by Argentinian President Milei with a $1 million Genesis Prize award, model the Abraham Accords and aim to foster pro-Israel civil society groups in Latin America. This initiative closely tracks the diplomatic shifts by right-wing governments, such as embassy relocations and UN voting patterns concerning Israel. Prime Minister Netanyahu recently urged leaders from Bolivia, Panama, and Paraguay to join the Isaac Accords, seeking to "expand the circle of friendship and partnership with Israel."

The influence of Evangelical Christian groups, particularly Christian Zionism, is a significant driver of these closer ties. In Brazil, the Evangelical Parliamentary Front, comprising over 40% of the Chamber of Deputies and over a quarter of the Senate, demonstrates the political clout of this bloc. "Those constituencies have become increasingly politicised in recent years, to the point it is beneficial for politicians to court them and one of the ways they can do that is rallying behind Israel," Main observed.

This evangelical push is also evident in countries like Honduras and Guatemala, where evangelicals constitute around 40% of the population, and both governments have moved their embassies to Jerusalem. US-based groups, such as the Latino Coalition for Israel, led by Pastor Mario Bramnick, actively lobby in Latin America, meeting with leaders in various countries to promote support for Israel, citing biblical mandates for God's covenant with the Jewish people regarding the Land of Israel and Jerusalem.