Colombian President-elect Abelardo De La Espriella announced on July 26, 2026, that his incoming administration will close 14 embassies and approximately 15 consulates worldwide.
The move aims to streamline public spending and reorganize foreign service operations.
>>> Severe Heat Dome Scorches Central US, Over 100 Million Under Alerts
Embassies Targeted for Closure
The closures target Colombian embassies in Algeria, Azerbaijan, Barbados, Cuba, the Czech Republic, Ethiopia, Ghana, Haiti, Hungary, Malaysia, Nicaragua, Romania, Senegal, and South Africa.
De La Espriella also confirmed the suspension of opening an embassy in Palestine while ordering the reopening of Colombia's diplomatic mission in Jerusalem and establishing a new embassy in Nigeria.
Foreign policy restructuring includes severing ties with specific nations while unifying redundant international delegations.
Missions in France with UNESCO and Italy with FAO will be merged into single ambassadorial posts.
“Colombia needs a modern, efficient diplomacy that serves national interests, not politics and bureaucracy,” said De La Espriella.
The decision to shutter embassies in Managua and Havana reflects a diplomatic policy change regarding authoritarian governments in the region.
“We do not want to support dictatorships. Let that be very clear,” said Omar Bula Escobar, designated Foreign Minister of Colombia.
In response, the Nicaraguan government revoked the appointment of its ambassador to Colombia, Harold de Jesús Delgado, through an official presidential decree.
Cost-Saving and Efficiency Measures
De La Espriella emphasized that closing the diplomatic missions is aimed at optimizing operational costs without severing relations with most affected nations.
“We cannot maintain such an expensive structure that does not produce concrete results for the country,” he said.
