Four Latin American countries have moved their embassies to Jerusalem, but Paraguay’s diplomatic reversal highlights the political controversy surrounding the city’s status.
With Colombia moving its embassy to Jerusalem, the number of Latin American countries that have taken this diplomatic and political step has risen to four.
Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, and Paraguay are the Latin American countries that have taken concrete steps to move their embassies in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. However, the process has differed from one country to another, with Paraguay reversing its decision for a period before returning its embassy to the city at the end of 2024.
These moves come amid international disputes over the status of Jerusalem. Israel considers the city its capital, while the Palestinians maintain that East Jerusalem is the capital of their future state.
On May 16, 2018, Guatemala moved its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, two days after the United States opened its embassy in the city. The move marked a significant shift in diplomatic positions on the issue of Jerusalem.
Opening of the Guatemalan Embassy in Jerusalem. (Reuters)
In June 2021, Honduras opened its embassy in Jerusalem under former President Juan Orlando Hernández, becoming the second Latin American country to take this step after Guatemala.
Paraguay moved its embassy to Jerusalem in May 2018 but returned it to Tel Aviv in September of the same year following a change in the country's political administration.
In December 2024, Paraguay once again moved its embassy to Jerusalem, reflecting a new shift in its diplomatic policy towards Israel and the city.
In October 2026, Colombia opened its embassy in Israel in Jerusalem, coinciding with the resumption of the free trade agreement between the two countries. The decision drew Palestinian and Arab condemnation, with critics considering it a violation of international law and international legitimacy resolutions.
The dispute revolves around Jerusalem's legal and political status, particularly that of East Jerusalem, which the Palestinians consider the capital of their future state. Most of the international community does not recognize Israeli sovereignty over East Jerusalem, while the city's final status remains one of the issues to be resolved through negotiations.
Guatemala, Honduras, Paraguay, and Colombia have thus emerged as the Latin American countries that have taken concrete steps to move their embassies to Jerusalem, each following a different path, whether maintaining the decision, reversing it, or later reinstating it.
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