Paraguay to Maintain Israel Ties Despite Diplomatic Costs

Paraguay intends to preserve its close relationship with Israel, even if it leads to diplomatic complications with other nations, according to Vice President Pedro Alliana. In an interview with The Jerusalem Post during a visit to Israel, Alliana stated that the partnership between the two countries is founded on shared values such as democracy, the rule of law, human rights, and freedom. He also emphasized Israel's right to defend its territory from threats.

During his visit, Alliana and Paraguayan Foreign Minister Rubén Ramírez Lezcano met with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar in Jerusalem on Wednesday, October 7. They discussed expanding cooperation in healthcare, technology, and security. The following day, the Paraguayan delegation met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog, visited the Yad Vashem memorial, and participated in events commemorating the third anniversary of the Hamas attack.

Alliana acknowledged that supporting Israel sometimes comes at a significant political and diplomatic cost to Paraguay. However, he asserted that the country will not abandon the principles guiding its foreign policy. Paraguay has a long history of supporting Israel, having backed the 1947 UN Partition Plan and establishing diplomatic relations in 1949.

The country moved its embassy to Jerusalem in 2018, a decision reversed by a subsequent government four months later, leading Israel to close its embassy in Asunción. In December 2024, Paraguay reopened its embassy in Jerusalem, prompting Israel to restore its diplomatic mission in the Paraguayan capital.

Alliana, who is 52, plans to run for president in 2028 and has pledged to continue strengthening ties with Israel if elected. Paraguay also opposes Iran's influence in Latin America and has designated Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as terrorist organizations. Alliana believes that intelligence and security cooperation with Israel and the United States aids in combating terrorism and transnational crime. Discussions also covered cybersecurity, water management, agriculture, and medicine, culminating in a healthcare cooperation memorandum for technology transfer and training of Paraguayan doctors in Israel.