Abelardo de la Espriella says he will cut diplomatic ties with Havana and Managua and close 15 consulates and 14 embassies to reduce costs and bolster security. The president-elect will be sworn in on 7 August in Cali.
Colombia's president-elect, Abelardo de la Espriella, has announced plans to close 14 embassies and 15 consulates as part of an overhaul of the country's diplomatic network.
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The reform, announced in a video posted on social media, includes the closure of Colombia's embassy in Hungary, Czech Republic and Romania as well as diplomatic missions in Algeria, Barbados, Ethiopia, Haiti, Senegal and South Africa. De la Espriella said the move would not affect Colombia's diplomatic relations with those countries.
De la Espriella has therefore also vowed to sever diplomatic ties with Cuba and Nicaragua after taking office on 7 August, one of the first foreign policy decisions announced by his incoming administration.
"In my government there will be no ties whatsoever with tyrannies," De la Espriella declared after claiming victory in Colombia's presidential election last June, in a message posted on social media in which he sought to justify the break with the governments in Havana and Managua.
The announcement comes as the United States steps up pressure on Cuba and Nicaragua, whose President Daniel Ortega said last week that no further elections would be held in the country.
De la Espriella said the move is part of a broader overhaul of Colombia's foreign service aimed at cutting costs and redirecting resources towards priorities such as security, healthcare, education and infrastructure. "Every peso we save on bureaucracy will be a peso we can invest in security, health, education, infrastructure and, above all, opportunities for the poorest," he said.
He also announced a technical audit during the first 100 days of his term to assess the usefulness of the remaining diplomatic missions.
"Colombia needs a diplomacy that is modern, efficient and serves the national interest, not politicking and bureaucracy," he argued.
The incoming president also confirmed that he will reopen Colombia's embassy in Jerusalem, restoring diplomatic representation with Israel after the break ordered by Gustavo Petro in 2024. He also said he will open a new embassy in Nigeria to strengthen Colombia's presence in Africa, where, he said, there are "strategic opportunities."
Swearing-in in Cali
De la Espriella also confirmed that his inauguration will take place on 7 August in Cali, the capital of Valle del Cauca department, rather than in Bogotá, breaking with longstanding tradition. He had initially proposed holding the ceremony in Popayán but later ruled out that option, citing logistical and security concerns.
The decision drew criticism from outgoing President Gustavo Petro, who questioned why the ceremony would not be held in Bogotá's Plaza de Bolívar. Petro also joked that it could instead take place in Miami, where De la Espriella has a law firm.
The change of venue comes amid heightened concerns over security in Colombia, a central theme of De la Espriella's election campaign. He has pledged to intensify the fight against armed groups and abandon Petro's "total peace" policy, which sought to negotiate with illegal armed organisations.