Colombia to sever diplomatic ties with Nicaragua and Cuba

President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella announced on July 26, 2026, that his incoming administration will close at least fourteen embassies and sever diplomatic ties with Cuba and Nicaragua, citing a policy of "no ties whatsoever with tyrannies."

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In my government there will be no link whatsoever with tyrannies.

In a social media address, De la Espriella detailed the initial phase of embassy closures, which will include Algeria, Azerbaijan, Barbados, Cuba, Czech Republic, Ethiopia, Ghana, Haiti, Hungary, Malaysia, Nicaragua, Romania, Senegal, and South Africa. He also plans to suspend the opening of Colombia's mission in Palestine and close approximately fifteen consulates.

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In a first stage, I will close the embassies of Algeria, Azerbaijan, Barbados, Cuba, Czech Republic, Ethiopia, Ghana, Haiti, Hungary, Malaysia, Nicaragua, Romania, Senegal, South Africa.

The decision to break ties with Cuba and Nicaragua follows a period of strained relations. Nicaragua's government, led by Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, had previously revoked the appointment of its ambassador to Colombia. Tensions escalated in September 2024 when then-President Gustavo Petro expressed solidarity with a Nicaraguan writer whose property was expropriated, comparing Ortega to Augusto Pinochet. Ortega responded by calling Petro

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trash