Colombia’s president-elect, Abelardo de la Espriella, announced on Sunday, July 26, that his administration, which takes office on August 7, will close at least 14 embassies, including the one in Romania, as part of a broader reorganisation of the country’s diplomatic network. The decision to close the embassy in Romania comes just months after Colombia reopened it.
Earlier this year, during the mandate of outgoing President Gustavo Petro, Colombia reopened its embassy in Romania after 24 years of direct diplomatic absence between the two countries.
Which Embassies Will Close
The incoming president has charted a different course on foreign missions. “In a first stage, I will close the embassies in Algeria, Azerbaijan, Barbados, Cuba, the Czech Republic, Ethiopia, Ghana, Haiti, Hungary, Malaysia, Nicaragua, Romania, Senegal, and South Africa,” De la Espriella said in a speech posted on his social media accounts, according to Euronews English. He also announced the suspension of plans to open a mission in Palestine.
De la Espriella said the closures do not amount to severing diplomatic relations with the affected countries, with the exception of Cuba and Nicaragua, arguing there would be “no link with tyrannies.” He explained that Colombian citizens in countries losing their embassies will continue to receive assistance through concurrent representation from other diplomatic missions in the region, and said the reorganisation aims to make the foreign service more efficient.
New Embassies Planned in Israel and Nigeria
As part of the same strategy, De la Espriella also announced the reopening of Colombia’s embassy in Israel, which will operate in Jerusalem, fulfilling a promise he made during his presidential campaign. He also confirmed plans to open a new diplomatic mission in Nigeria, aimed at reorganising Colombia’s presence in Africa.
Consolidating Overlapping Missions
The president-elect said he will also unify some diplomatic representations that, in his view, duplicate their functions. He cited Colombia’s embassies in France and its mission to UNESCO in Paris, as well as its embassy in Italy and its mission to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Rome, saying a single ambassador will take on both roles in each pairing.
Audit and Reinvestment Plans
De la Espriella added that within the first 100 days of his government, he will order a technical audit of the remaining diplomatic representations to assess their continued operation. He said the resources saved through these measures would be redirected to strengthen sectors including security, health, education and infrastructure.
