Paraguay’s Foreign Minister Luis Castiglioni announced on 5 September that Paraguay was reversing former Paraguayan president Horacio Cartes’ decision to move the country’s embassy to Jerusalem. Paraguay had originally decided to move its embassy to Jerusalem following U.S. president Donald Trump’s move back in May. The Paraguayan announcement made Israel close its embassy in Paraguay and recall its ambassador. Paraguay’s new president Mario Abdo Benítez is from the same conservative party as the former President Cartes. President Benítez was inaugurated on 15 August. The Australian prime minister announced that Australia had recognized West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital but had decided not to move the country’s embassy (see Australia). The Brazilian president-elect Jair Bolsonaro also stated that he would move the Brazilian embassy to Jerusalem (see Brazil).
