Paraguay has announced its intention to move its embassy back to Jerusalem. This move indicates a growing rapport with Israel in Latin America.
The statement came a week ahead of Santiago Peña’s inauguration as the elected president of Paraguay.
Peña has previously voiced his support for this relocation.
The announcement also precedes his scheduled meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
Upon his election, Peña had communicated to Netanyahu in May his plans to shift the embassy to Jerusalem shortly after his official inauguration on August 15th.
Paraguay initially moved its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in 2018, following the lead of then-US President Donald Trump.
It was the third nation to do so after the US and Guatemala.
However, a subsequent Paraguayan administration reverted the embassy back to Tel Aviv, leading to a diplomatic strain with Israel.
This move led Israel to close its embassy in Paraguay temporarily.
During his campaign, Peña pledged to relocate the embassy to Jerusalem again, recognizing it as Israel’s capital.
He stated, “Israel’s parliament and president are both based in Jerusalem. Why should we question where they establish their own capital?”
The United States, Guatemala, Honduras, and Kosovo have their embassies in Jerusalem.
Paraguay has maintained a long-standing friendship with Israel despite its economic challenges, tracing back to its support for Israel’s creation at the United Nations in 1947.