Colombian President Gustavo Petro revealed that he will sever diplomatic ties with Israel over its military actions in the Gaza Strip.
The leftist leader accused the Israeli government of committing “genocide” in its war against Hamas during a speech after an International Workers’ Day march in Bogotá on Wednesday.
“Tomorrow, diplomatic relations will be severed with the State of Israel for having a government, for having a genocidal president,” Petro said. “If Palestine dies, humanity dies and we will not let that happen.”
Petro has previously criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu but has not condemned Hamas’ actions.
He is now seeking to join the International Court of Justice in the South African case accusing Israel of genocide
“I believe that today all humanity on the streets, millions of them, agree with us, and we agree with them,” Petro said. “It cannot be this way, it cannot return, the times of genocide, of the extermination of an entire people before our eyes, before our inaction, cannot come.”
Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced Wednesday that he will sever ties with the Israeli government over its war actions in Gaza
A Palestinian child stands in the rubble of a house destroyed after an Israeli attack in Gaza, where at least 34,500 people, mostly women and children, were killed in response to the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack in Israel that left 1,170 dead
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met (left) with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (right) on Wednesday to discuss ongoing efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza, secure the release of hostages and increase humanitarian aid to the Palestinian enclave
A demonstrator is escorted by police after about 300 demonstrators are arrested at Columbia University, where students and outsiders have gathered to protest the Israeli government
The Colombian president’s comments come as anti-Israel protests have spread across college campuses across the United States, including Columbia University, where students and outsiders have set up camps.
About 300 arrests were made in Columbia and City College on charges including trespassing, criminal mischief and burglary, Police Chief Edward Caban told a news conference Wednesday.
“Public safety was a real concern, especially after protesters escalated the situation by breaking into a university building, and the NYPD was called in to do their job,” he said.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a meeting with Netanyahu on Wednesday to discuss plans for a ceasefire in Gaza, securing the release of hostages and increasing humanitarian aid to the Palestinian enclave.
Petro’s most recent warning to Israel came in March, when he said he would cut ties with the country if it did not comply with a United Nations Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
Israel responded that it will not yield to any pressure or threat.
On February 29, Petro announced that Colombia would stop buying weapons from Israel after more than 100 people were killed in Gaza while taking food from Egyptian trucks delivering aid.
“This is called genocide and is reminiscent of the Holocaust, even if world powers are reluctant to acknowledge it,” the president wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
Israeli troops walk through the Gaza Strip, where military attacks have killed at least 34,500 people since October 2023
Palestinians look at the destruction after an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip
The NYPD evacuated Hamilton Hall on April 30, less than 24 hours after it was occupied by anti-Israel protesters at Columbia University.
Colombia is the third country in Latin America to break ties with Israel after the outbreak of war on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched an attack that killed 1,170 people.
The Israeli response has left at least 34,500 dead in Gaza, mostly women and children.
Bolivia broke off ties in October, claiming Israel was committing “crimes against humanity against the Palestinian people.”
Belize followed suit in November after questioning Israel for its “incessant indiscriminate bombing in Gaza that has killed 11,000 innocent civilians.”
Other countries such as Chile and Nicaragua have expressed opposition to Israel, but without severing ties.