No diplomatic ties, but decades of contact: Oman’s complex Israel history

Brazil's presidential election is set for a run-off on October 25. Flavio Bolsonaro, son of the former president Jair Bolsonaro, secured victory in the first round, defeating incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva by a significant margin. Lula, a prominent figure on the global left, has maintained ties with Russia during the Ukraine-Russia conflict.

Bolsonaro's support for Israel during his time in office highlights the growing trend among right-leaning Latin American leaders who favor Israel. Flavio Bolsonaro has stated his intention to relocate Brazil's embassy to Jerusalem within six months of assuming office, if elected.

Argentina's President Javier Milei and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently launched the Isaac Accords, a strategic framework aimed at strengthening cooperation between the two nations and other like-minded countries in the Western Hemisphere. This development underscores the strengthening of Israel's ties with nations in Latin America.

The Isaac Accords have garnered support or potential backing from various Latin American countries, including Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia, Honduras, Chile, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Paraguay, Uruguay, Bolivia, and Panama. This rightward political shift in Latin America has attracted considerable attention, with some US commentators attributing it to the influence of the Trump administration and the decline of USAID-funded programs in the region.

The US has demonstrated its support for certain Latin American leaders, such as Argentina's Javier Milei and Colombia's newly elected president Abelardo de la Espriella. The Trump administration even took the unprecedented step of arresting Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro in a January 2026 raid. This shift in political dynamics has boosted Israel's relations with Latin American nations, with countries like Colombia and Venezuela expressing their readiness to renew ties with Israel, recognizing its claim to the occupied Golan Heights, and enhancing security cooperation.