As Israel faces widespread criticism and isolation from many countries worldwide due to its ongoing military operation in Gaza and settler attacks on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, authoritarian right-wing governments in Latin America are seeing an opportunity to form a new strategic alliance with Israel. Even countries that once held anti-Israel positions are now dramatically shifting their policies, sparking considerable discussion in the international community.
A notable example of this is Venezuela. In 2009, during a three-week military offensive in the Gaza Strip, over 1,400 people were killed, an estimated 1,100 of whom were civilians. In protest, Venezuela's then-socialist President Hugo Chávez expelled the Israeli ambassador and severed diplomatic ties. Seventeen years later, Venezuela and Israel have now agreed to establish a process to resume consular services. While a limited step, this was unimaginable until recently.
Similar changes are also evident in Colombia. The nationalist government of new President Abelardo de la Espriella has reversed the decision made by his predecessor, Gustavo Petro. Petro had severed diplomatic relations with Israel in protest of Israel's recent war in Gaza, which resulted in the deaths of over 70,000 people, approximately one-third of whom were children. De la Espriella has not only reinstated relations but has also announced that Colombia will move its embassy to Jerusalem.
Furthermore, this week he also announced that Colombia would become the second country, after the United States, to recognize Israel's 'sovereignty' over the Golan Heights. According to international law, the Golan Heights is Syrian territory, although Israel has occupied it since 1967. The vast majority of the international community, including Germany and the United Nations, does not recognize Israel's occupation of the Golan Heights. Colombia's move has sparked strong reactions in the international arena.
Regarding this trend, Isaac Caro, a professor at Alberto Hurtado University in Chile, stated, "There is a tendency to restore relations with Israel in response to the rise of the far-right in the region." Caro further noted that authoritarian rulers in Latin America view their relationship with Israel as part of "active solidarity with United States foreign policy." He believes that strengthening ties with Israel has become a characteristic of the Latin American far-right, forming part of a new discussion about the region's place within Judeo-Christian Western civilization.
In the case of Argentina, ultra-conservative President Javier Milei has made close ties with Israel a defining feature of his foreign policy and personal political identity. His relationship with Israel is deeply intertwined with his personal and political ideology. Earlier, Brazil's former liberal President Jair Bolsonaro and El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele, who describes himself as "the world's coolest dictator," also played leading roles in establishing warm relations with Israel. Milei and others later followed in their footsteps.
Daniel Wajner, an associate professor in the Department of International Relations at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, stated that there has been a "surge" in diplomacy between Israel and Latin American governments. Wajner further said that authoritarian rulers in Latin America are actively "embracing" Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's national-conservative government. According to him, there are various ideological, religious, and strategic reasons behind these countries strengthening ties with Israel, such as the desire to demonstrate a like-minded international stance with the United States.
Gilberto Aranda, a political analyst at the University of Chile, provided a deeper analysis on the matter, stating that there was a tendency for authoritarian Latin American countries to align with the United States under Donald Trump, and as a result, their relations with Israel also began to be re-established. This overall situation indicates a significant shift in Latin America's geopolitical landscape, where Israel is emerging as an important player.
