Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced Wednesday that he has ordered the expulsion of all remaining members of the Israeli diplomatic mission in the country, following what he described as an Israeli “international crime” in intercepting an aid flotilla bound for Gaza.
اضافة اعلان
Prior to this decision, only four Israeli diplomats remained in Colombia after the leftist president cut diplomatic ties with Israel last year, according to a Colombian source.
Petro, who has been in power since 2022, stated that Israel detained two Colombian women while they were sailing in “international waters,” demanding their “immediate release.”
In 2024, Colombia severed diplomatic relations with Israel in protest against the war in Gaza, but Israel retained a consular presence in the South American nation, consisting of 40 staff members, including four Israelis with diplomatic status, the same source said.
In his statement, Petro stressed his rejection of “any act that violates the physical safety, freedom, or human rights of Colombian citizens abroad.”
The Colombian president also announced that he has decided to “immediately terminate the free trade agreement with Israel.”
