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The Attempted Israelization of Latin America: Part II

  • 2026年8月14日
  • Estimated read time 15 min read
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Israel has achieved significant milestones in a short span of time. But can this momentum be maintained?

Not long ago, Latin America stood firmly against Israel’s actions in Gaza, with four nations—Bolivia, Colombia, Nicaragua, and Honduras—choosing to sever or suspend diplomatic ties with Tel Aviv. Additionally, Cuba and Venezuela had previously taken similar actions, the latter doing so long ago.

As of mid-2025, eight of the 36 countries supporting South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice were located in Latin America and the Caribbean. This figure was double that of countries in Europe participating in the case.

However, by January of this year, as discussed in our previous installment, Israel had begun to shift this narrative, leveraging the rightward political transformations across the region, further exacerbated by Trump’s aggressive reimagining of the Monroe Doctrine. This was aptly termed “smash and grab diplomacy” by Yves.

Currently, the phenomenon dubbed the “Israelisation” of Latin America appears to be unfolding dramatically:

  • In February, Israel received its first oil shipment from Venezuela in over five years. Given the Trump administration’s alignment with the Netanyahu regime, it was hardly surprising that the U.S.’s takeover of Venezuela’s oil sector would favor Israel.
  • In March, Chile inaugurated its first far-right government since Pinochet. José Antonio Kast promised to restore the Chilean ambassador to Israel after a two-year period of strained relations, expressing a desire to enhance cooperation across various sectors, including agriculture, health, AI, technology, and security.
  • On April 19, 2026, the Isaac Accords were officially launched in Jerusalem by Argentina’s President Javier Milei and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. These accords seek to replicate the model of the Abraham Accords within Latin America, focusing on security collaboration, investment, technology, and political alignment. A key aim is to forge enduring ties between Israel and Latin America. Reports indicate that 12 countries have signed a resolution supporting the expansion of these Accords, notably including Brazil.
  • In May, leaked audio from the Hondurasgate scandal was published by Canal Red Latinoamerica. This leak uncovered significant insights regarding Washington and Tel Aviv’s commitment to solidifying their influence in the region, indicating that Israel may have played a role in Trump’s pardon of former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández (JOH), a convicted drug trafficker.
  • In June, Israel launched an aid initiative for Venezuela, deploying a delegation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the military’s Home Front Command to assist following deadly twin earthquakes in La Guaira. This marked the first official interaction between Caracas and Tel Aviv since diplomatic relations were severed in 2009.
  • In late July, JOH returned to Honduras facing charges of fraud and money laundering. However, the Hondurasgate leaks suggest Washington and Tel Aviv expect him to regain power soon.
  • Just last Friday (August 7), Abelardo de la Espriella was inaugurated as the president of Colombia. A newcomer without any political background, he has pledged to fortify Colombia’s relations with Israel.

Readers may recall that the previous administration under Gustavo Petro was one of the few globally that vocally condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza, translating rhetoric into action by severing ties with Israel and halting coal exports to the Zionist state.

In his final address to the UN General Assembly in October 2025, Petro delivered a forceful condemnation of both the Netanyahu administration and the Trump administration. He criticized Trump as an accomplice to genocide and emphasized the chilling parallels between the situation in Gaza and the recent developments in the Caribbean — a sobering assertion before the U.S. initiated its “starvation siege” of Cuba:

“Those without bombs or substantial budgets are often ignored. However, now, four years after my initial speech, I fear that the catastrophic situation in Palestine may be mirrored in Colombia’s Caribbean, where 17 unarmed youths were killed by military actions amidst a supposed war on drug trafficking.”

…

“To exert control in Colombia and Latin America, violence is a necessity. They seek to dismantle dialogue and establish dominance by deploying lethal measures against vulnerable youth in the Caribbean. The stated anti-drug policy serves not to halt cocaine transit to the U.S., but to subjugate the Southern peoples collectively.” [1]

In Colombia’s recent elections, Petro’s successor from the left-leaning Historical Pact coalition, Ivan Cepeda, narrowly lost to Abelardo de la Espriella, a Miami-based lawyer known for representing notorious drug traffickers and paramilitary leaders [2].

Since his inauguration, De la Espriella has committed to aligning Colombia with Trump’s Shield of the Americas initiative, reportedly in exchange for $1 billion in U.S. funds. According to U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, he has authorized joint military operations on Colombian territory.

This signifies the resurgence of Plan Colombia. As noted by Ollie Vargas, all three nations permitting joint U.S. strikes—Ecuador, Colombia, and Honduras—are administered either de jure or de facto by individuals implicated in narcotics trafficking or acting as legal counsel for those involved.

In mere days, De la Espriella has dramatically altered Colombia’s diplomatic relations with Israel. He has reversed Petro’s actions by reinstating ties with Tel Aviv and eliminating obstacles to trade, while also permitting Israeli (and U.S.) forces to operate within Colombian borders.

De la Espriella has stated he will halt plans to establish an embassy in Palestine and intends to move Colombia’s mission to Jerusalem. He has also reversed Bogotá’s policy on Western Sahara, affirming Israel’s ally Morocco’s claims to the region. This is especially contentious given allegations that Israel played a role in the recent migrant crisis in Ceuta.

“Colombia recognizes Morocco’s sovereignty over all its territories, including Western Sahara, and consequently, the government will cease relations with the RASD from this day forward,” stated the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Perhaps the most controversial decision has been De la Espriella’s recognition of Israel’s claim over Syria’s Golan Heights, marking him as only the second UN member state to do so after the U.S. Interestingly, even Argentina’s Javier Milei, who calls himself the “most Zionist president,” has not yet taken this step.

This recognition has triggered a diplomatic standoff with the Arab League, which has formally rejected Bogotá’s shift in policy. According to El País, this announcement surprised not only the officials from numerous Arab countries but also Colombian citizens, who were grappling with the aftermath of one of the largest earthquakes in nearly half a century.

In Tel Aviv, the response has been enthusiastic. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar expressed gratitude to his “good friend” de la Espriella for this “historic” acknowledgment. Benjamin Netanyahu shared a video proclaiming:

“Today, the [Israeli] people stand united with Colombia, as our president has recognized our sovereignty in the Golan Heights. I express my deepest thanks.”

Unquestionably, these “first-order” measures taken by the new government serve to further Israel’s interests rather than benefiting Colombia.

This year, we noted that a rightward trend in elections—supported by direct electoral interventions from the Trump administration—has established a corridor of countries in South America increasingly aligned with the U.S. and Israel.

As illustrated by the map below from Yousef Ibrahim of the U.S. Anti-Zionist Political Action Committee (Azapac), an “South American Israel” is emerging.

The Netanyahu administration holds high hopes for upcoming elections in Brazil and Colombia, aiming for more amicable leadership. Historically, Latin America has consistently opposed Israel’s actions in Gaza, and Tel Aviv is determined to reverse this trend.

As evidenced by the updated map below, this campaign has met with considerable success.

As the U.S. extends its political influence across South America—and Latin America at large—so too does Israel. Venezuela illustrates this trend starkly.

Seventeen years after then-President Hugo Chavez severed ties with Israel due to the Gaza bombings during Operation Cast Lead, Venezuela now finds its government under Delcy Rodriguez restoring relations with Tel Aviv, even after initially condemning the U.S. attack and raising suspicions of Zionist motives.

As Dimitri Lascaris and Prashad discuss in a recent podcast, the restoration of Venezuela’s ties with Tel Aviv serves as undeniable evidence that the Delcy Rodriguez government has strayed from Bolivarian principles. But how widespread is this betrayal? After all, Nicolás Maduro’s son, Nicolasito, called for a return to relations with Israel shortly after his father’s kidnapping.

Delcy Rodriguez has also withdrawn Venezuela from the International Criminal Court at the behest of Washington, benefiting Benjamin Netanyahu. The U.S. is pressuring its client states across Latin America to follow suit. During a recent security summit in Panama, Pete Hegseth urged all 19 members of the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition (ACCC) to withdraw from the ICC.

Dima Khatib from Al Jazeera characterizes the ongoing situation in Venezuela as “the end of an era.” Here are some of her insights:

  • “I possess insider information suggesting this marks the beginning of a strategic alliance, undoubtedly with Trump’s encouragement. Venezuela will begin to receive technology and military support from Israel.”
  • “It’s evident that while many chavistas are outraged by this, a considerable number are not—primarily due to the spread of Christian Zionism via evangelism in Venezuela.”
  • “The question arises: Will Venezuela alter its stance on Palestine? From my observations, it already has. There has been no recent commentary on Israel’s actions in Gaza.”

A nation whose previous leader, Hugo Chavez, was among the first to label Israel’s actions towards Gaza as genocide, has now gone silent as Israel intensifies its military operations.

In Argentina, a surreal development took place this week, as it was reported that the nation’s Airport Security Police (PSA) began teaching basic Hebrew to staff in preparation for expected direct flights between Buenos Aires and Tel Aviv, operated by the Israeli airline El Al.

As Israel fortifies its political foothold in Latin America, businesses from the Jewish State are preparing to capitalize on prospects, particularly in sectors like energy, minerals, and security. In April, Reuters reported that “officials from eight binational chambers of commerce from Latin America and Israel signed an agreement aimed at fostering trade, investment, innovation, and [business] opportunities.”

Ilan Alon, an economics and business professor at Ariel University, cautions in an opinion piece for YNet News that while “a geopolitical window has opened,” such windows “are not everlasting”:

Israel should not settle for merely friendly speeches, supportive UN votes, or embassy relocations to Jerusalem. It should seize today’s political opportunities to foster relationships that can withstand future elections…

Israeli firms need to act swiftly and adopt a regional perspective… Israel’s proficiencies in cybersecurity, AI, fintech, AgTech, water management, health technology, and defense align with many of the region’s pressing requirements.

Nevertheless, despite the increasing collaboration between Israel and right-leaning governments in Latin America, public sentiment in the region is turning against the Zionist state for justified reasons.

A recent Pew Research Center survey revealed that a median of 55% of Latin Americans from countries like Chile, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Peru hold a negative view of Israel, with only 26% expressing a positive opinion. These sentiments are likely to intensify as Israel escalates its military campaigns in Southern Lebanon and the West Bank.

Meanwhile, the primary ally of Israel in this neo-colonial endeavor is experiencing declining support among Latin American communities. A separate survey by the Pew Research Center shows that attitudes towards the United States have soured in five of six Latin American countries recently surveyed, while perspectives on China have largely remained stable.

Importantly, in all six nations (Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Chile, and Argentina), overwhelming majorities concur that Washington meddles in the affairs of other countries, whereas fewer express similar sentiments regarding China. For instance, in Colombia, 75% assert that the U.S. interferes substantially, compared to 30% who share that view about China.

Ultimately, both the United States and Israel struggle to provide Latin America with constructive alternatives—beyond what is currently unfolding: a melding of Plan Colombia with Operation Condor, enhanced with tech surveillance and digital governance. But how long can this approach endure?

It is one thing to install cooperating governments willing to compromise their nations and peoples for the gain of U.S. and Israeli entities; it’s another challenge to maintain these administrations as economic and living conditions decline. Sustaining power may require escalating levels of state repression and violence, a troubling reality already evident in Ecuador.

As Juan Orlando Hernández, Honduras’ former narco-president, reportedly stated, “to maintain control over people, one must suppress them.”

Whether this can be sustained in the long run remains to be seen. One thing is undebatable: the next significant challenge for the U.S. and Israel’s efforts to regain influence in Latin America lies in Brazil, which is about to hold pivotal presidential elections in October. Recently, the U.S. listed Brazil among over 40 countries considered high-risk for alleged illegal “transshipping” of goods.

In the meantime, main challenger Flavio Bolsonaro, son of Jair, has openly declared his allegiance to Netanyahu, Christian Zionism, and Donald Trump. If he emerges victorious, Israel stands to potentially have an unbroken chain of influence across South America.

[1] This assertion echoes a commentary from our September 26, 2023, post, “The U.S. is Once Again Vigorously Stirring the Pot in Its Own ‘Backyard’,” where we indicated that Washington’s renewed assault on drug cartels in Latin America—initiated during the Biden administration—serves more as a facade for a new wave of U.S. neo-colonial (or neo-feudal) control and exploitation in the region.

Currently, the Marco Rubio-aligned U.S. State Department is openly boasting that U.S. dominance in the Western Hemisphere “will never be called into question again.”

[2] Before leaving office, Petro alleged that Israeli cyber-intelligence company BlackCore orchestrated a widespread digital misinformation campaign to sway electoral outcomes. He also claimed that the National Registry’s vote-counting software had been “compromised”, citing anomalies in IP addresses linked to key government servers.

While definitive proof of these allegations remains elusive, the technological capabilities of the Israeli government and its tech firms, combined with the pervasive infiltration of Colombian politics, alongside the myriad allegations against firms like BlackCore regarding global election interference, cannot be entirely dismissed.

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