Bogotá, Colombia – Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro announced Wednesday night that his government had expelled Israel’s delegation to the country and severed free trade after two Colombian citizens traveling on the Gaza flotilla were detained.
His announcement came after Israeli forces intercepted some 40 boats carrying aid and more than 400 foreign activists to Gaza in an attempt to break Israel’s blockade.
Two Colombian citizens, Manuela Bedoya and Luna Barreto, were reportedly detained on Wednesday by Israel’s navy.
In response to the news, Petro condemned the detention and responded with fresh sanctions against Israel: “The free trade agreement with Israel is immediately terminated. The entire Israeli diplomatic delegation in Colombia is withdrawn from the country.”
Petro has been a vociferous critic of Israel’s offensive in Gaza – designated a genocide by the UN – and had already expelled most of the country’s mission from Colombia in 2024.
Israel’s Ambassador, Gali Dagan, left Colombian soil in June 2024, after which the country’s mission was confined to a consulate in Bogotá. As of yesterday, the consulate had 40 employees, four of whom were Israelis with diplomatic status, according to AFP. The four diplomats are expected to leave following Petro’s order.
Meanwhile, the suspension of the free trade agreement is, for now, a largely symbolic move.
“The first thing to note is that the president cannot do this on his own; it has to go through Congress… and once terminated, Colombia’s commitments to Israel remain in force for six months,” explained Javier Díaz Molina, President of Colombia’s National Foreign Trade Association.
While it may not produce substantial material effects, Petro’s move was welcomed by pro-Palestine activists around the world.
Among these was the Hague Group, a body of eight countries, including Colombia, founded in January to coordinate international responses to Israel’s actions in Palestine. Petro hosted the group’s first summit in Bogotá in July.
The militant group Hamas, which governs Gaza, also made an announcement welcoming Petro’s move.
“We salute the positions of the Colombian government and President Gustavo Petro and their steps opposing the criminal Zionist policy and supporting the rights of our Palestinian people,” said a Hamas spokesperson.
Petro’s sanctions against Israel come less than a week after the United States revoked his visa for “reckless and incendiary actions” in New York surrounding comments on Palestine.
The Colombian president used his speech to the United Nations General Assembly to condemn the White House’s arming and support for Israel’s offensive in Gaza.
Petro later attended a pro-Palestine protest in New York City and called on U.S. troops to “disobey Trump’s orders.”
The Colombian leader has also proposed forming an international army to fight in Gaza.
Featured image description: Gustavo Petro and António Guterres at the UN General Assembly.
Featured image credit: @PetroGustavo via X.
