The foreign minister designated by De la Espriella states that they will “review” Colombia’s participation in international organizations such as the UN and the OAS
14ymedio, Madrid, July 9, 2026 / The shift in Colombia’s government under recently elected Abelardo de la Espriella is also clear in its foreign policy, with barely a month to go before he takes office. The foreign minister designated by the new president, Omar Bula, has confirmed that he will close the embassies in Havana and Managua.
“We want an efficient, proactive foreign ministry, with good relations with everyone, but without supporting governments that are completely opposed to President De la Espriella’s philosophy, as in the case of Nicaragua and Cuba. We are not going to legitimize regimes by placing an embassy there,” the designated foreign minister stated in an interview with Noticias RCN.
Asked by reporters whether they were going to cut off diplomatic relations, he said: “There will be relations – what there won’t be is embassies.” There are “several models that can be used,” he explained, but he insisted: “In any case, these are countries that are definitely on a different course, not so much because of ideology: these are dictatorships, long-standing dictatorships, and I don’t think it’s our role to legitimize them in any way.”
“These are dictatorships, long-standing dictatorships, and I don’t think it’s our role to legitimize them in any way”
Regarding Venezuela, Bula stated that they will stay “very close” to the process currently under way alongside the United States, “always with a vision oriented toward a near future in which we can work together, in favor of democracy, free enterprise, Western values, so many things that have been weakened in our country in recent years.”
“It’s a gigantic opportunity,” the designated foreign minister declared. “For me, it’s a beautiful thing to be able to imagine Colombia and Venezuela coming together, developing their resources rationally, opening up, and building solid democratic systems.”
He also stated that they will restore diplomatic ties with countries whose relationship “has been badly affected in recent years.” Urgently, he said, with the United States, but also with Israel, a state with which – before outgoing president Gustavo Petro broke off relations in May 2024 – “we had cordial relations for decades.”
The “great pillars” on which he will base his term at the head of Colombian foreign policy, Bula mentioned, are three: “modernization, professionalization, and austerity.” In this regard, he stated that, despite it being a public service, he intends to bring his experience as an administrator to the foreign ministry and get it to function “like a company,” with “measurable results, focusing heavily on economic and technological diplomacy.”
“We know that there is also Colombian money, taxpayer money, that goes toward international cooperation. That will be the criterion: essentially a business criterion”
He expanded on this in another interview, with Blu Radio, in which he said they will examine the funds allocated to international cooperation. “We know that there is also Colombian money, taxpayer money, that goes toward international cooperation. That will be the criterion: essentially a business criterion,” he said.
In that same interview, Bula announced that a review will be carried out of Colombia’s participation in multilateral bodies such as the United Nations (UN) and the Organization of American States (OAS). “We are going to carry out a very thorough and rigorous analysis of our relationship with each of the international organizations. This is not about abandoning the international community, but about reviewing the agreements currently in force. Based on that analysis, we will seek to have everything serve our national interest.”
And he continued: “If at some point there is a clash of criteria between what the United Nations proposes and international agendas clash with our own agenda, we will have to analyze, from a sovereign standpoint, what serves us and what does not. At that point we will make the decision.”
Translated by GH.
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