on 29 June 1967
20th century 1949: Bolivia recognizes Israel's sovereignty Bolivia officially recognized Israel in February 1949 On 29 November of that year, Guevara-Arze presented his credentials to the President of Israel,
Yitzhak Ben-Zvi, thus formally establishing diplomatic relations between Israel and Bolivia. During the military coups that took place in Bolivia between 1964 and 1982, close ties existed between Bolivia and Israel. Israel sold
Uzi submachine guns, ammunition and aircraft to Bolivia, and in return Bolivia supported Israel on the international stage. In August 1964 the Commander of the
Bolivian Armed Forces, General
Alfredo Ovando Candia, visited Israel along with other senior Bolivian military personnel.
21st century 2009: Bolivia severs relations with Israel Following
Operation Cast Lead in 2008–2009, Bolivia severed relations with Israel and expelled the Israeli ambassador
Shlomo Cohen as well as seven members of the diplomatic mission, after the decision of President
Evo Morales of the leftist Movement for Socialism party that came to power in 2006. Following the decision, the leader of the Jewish community in the country, Abraham Levi, stated that the Bolivian government "has taken a position of a
terrorist group, supporting
Hamas and not accepting the arguments of the Israeli government." Morales was considered an ally of former Venezuelan President
Hugo Chávez, who also severed diplomatic ties with Israel following the operation. In 2010, Israeli exports to Bolivia amounted to about $6 million, and imports from Bolivia to Israel about $3 million.
2014: Bolivia cancels visa waiver program with Israel Following
Operation Protective Edge in 2014, Morales declared Israel a "
terror state" due to the
IDF's activity in the operation that year. As a result of the decision, the visa waiver that had been in place between the countries since the agreement signed between them in 1972 on the subject was cancelled. Morales also promised to prohibit Israelis from visiting Bolivia.
2019: Bolivia restores relations with Israel On 28 November 2019, Bolivian Foreign Minister
Karen Longaric announced the country's intention to resume diplomatic relations with Israel. The Israeli Foreign Ministry
Israel Katz welcomed the decision. This move came after Morales' resignation from the presidency, as he demonstrated pro-Iranian and
anti-American positions, distancing himself from the Western world since taking office, after receiving political asylum in Mexico following widespread protests against his government, breaking into his home, and placing a bounty on his head. It also renewed the visa waiver for Israelis touring Bolivia. On 4 February 2020, for the first time in a decade, a delegation from the Israeli Foreign Ministry met with Bolivian President
Jeanine Áñez, Foreign Minister Karen Longaric, cabinet members, and legislators in the capital La Paz.
2023: Bolivia severs relations with Israel Following the
31 October 2023 attack on Jabalia during the
Gaza war, the Bolivian government announced that it was severing diplomatic ties with Israel. Foreign Minister
Freddy Mamani called Israel's response "disproportionate" and President
Luis Arce described the actions as "war crimes", with the Bolivians
calling for an immediate ceasefire.
2025: Bolivia restores relations with Israel Following
Rodrigo Paz's win in the
2025 Bolivian presidential election, he held a phone conversation with Israeli foreign minister
Gideon Sa'ar, who stated his plans to reestablish relations between Bolivia and Israel. Sa'ar later announced his plans to send an Israeli representative to Paz Pereira's inauguration. Relations were re-established on 10 December 2025 following Paz's inauguration as president on November of that year. The government of Paz announced in December 2025 that Israeli nationals could travel to Bolivia without visa. ==See also==