A New South America Embraces Israel.

Barry Shaw | The View from Israel | Aug 12, 2026

Javier Milei in May 2024. Photo by Vox España – Flickr, CC0, Wikipedia

Under the enlightened leadership of President Javier Milei, Israel found a true and paassionate supporter of Israel.

Recently, the new President of Columbia, Arbelado de la Espriella, recognised an Israel. He even followed President Trump by including his support for Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights.

The South American embrace of Israel just expanded to include Venezuela.

The governments of Venezuela and Israel announced on Tuesday that they agreed to restore consular services in each country and establish an official coordination channel. The move, which came after Venezuela ended relations with Israel in 2009, followed an Israeli humanitarian delegation visit to the country in the aftermath of deadly earthquakes there in June.

“The two countries have agreed to continue their bilateral technical cooperation stemming from the emergency response and reconstruction efforts following the double earthquake,” the joint statement said. “The two countries have also agreed to establish a coordination mechanism that will enable the provision of consular services, as needed, to their citizens residing in the other country.”

“The two governments recognize the importance of the relationship between the State of Israel and the Jewish community residing in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, which serves as an important bridge of historic friendship between the two countries,” it continued.

Dr. Miguel Truzman, national coordinator of the Confederation of Jewish Associations of Venezuela, touted the development as the beginning of a “new era” in bilateral relations.

“After 17 years without consular relations, Venezuela and Israel are advancing in a confidence-building process that began with the various Israeli and Jewish organizations that came to Venezuela on the occasion of the double earthquake that struck the country on June 24, and which on that occasion provided great technical and humanitarian aid in the face of the tragedy and devastation,” he said in a statement.

“Today, a new era begins, taking a first step in the Consular area, as technical support in the areas required, and in the near future, diplomatic relations between both nations will be fully restored.”

One day earlier, Colombia on Monday recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, becoming only the second country in the world after the United States to formally endorse Israel’s claim to the strategic territory, in a major foreign-policy shift by the country’s new government aimed at restoring close ties and expanding its partnership with the Jewish state.

Just days after the inauguration of newly elected right-wing President Abelardo de la Espriella, the new administration announced that Colombia recognizes Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights, a strategically vital mountainous region captured from Syria in 1967 that commands a critical position along Israel’s northern frontier.

Following the fall of long-time Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in 2024, Israel deployed troops into a buffer zone along the Syrian border to establish a military position aimed at preventing terrorists from launching attacks against the Jewish state.

The previously demilitarized zone in the Golan Heights was established under the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement between Damascus and Jerusalem that ended the Yom Kippur War. However, Israel considered the agreement void after the collapse of Assad’s regime.

“Given the persistent regional instability in the Middle East and considering the strategic importance of the Golan Heights to Israel’s security, the Government of Colombia recognizes Israeli sovereignty over this territory, as well as Israel’s right to protect itself against external threats,” Colombia’s Foreign Ministry said in a press release.

“In this regional security context, Colombia recognizes that maintaining Israel’s control and sovereignty over the Golan Heights is an essential component of its national defense and its ability to protect and safeguard its citizens,” the statement continued.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar welcomed the announcement as a “historic decision,” praising Espriella for taking the step so early in his presidency and highlighting it as a powerful demonstration of Colombia’s renewed commitment to Israel and its security.

“With this decision, the president of Colombia has demonstrated, in one of his first decisions in office, his leadership, his values and his commitment to Israel and its security,” the top Israeli diplomat wrote in a post on X.

Saar explained, “Israel is a small country without strategic depth. Having defensible borders is essential for Israel in order to ensure the existence of the Jewish people in their historic homeland,”

Israel has now established a solid base of support among the rational leadership in South America with realistic hopes that this will spread to other countties on this continent that move away from Marxist, pro-Iranian, and criminal enterprises.