Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced the move on May 1, with the end of diplomatic ties commencing the following day. The left-wing Colombian leader made this proclamation during a Labor Day speech in the capital Bogota. "Here, in front of you … as the president of the Republic [of Colombia], I announce that … on May 2, we will break off diplomatic relations with Israel for having a genocidal environment," Petro said.
The president also expressed solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza whose "children have died, dismembered by bombs." He continued: "A time of genocide, of an extermination of an entire nation before our eyes, cannot return. If Palestine dies, humanity dies."
According to Russia Today (RT), Petro's announcement was a fulfillment of his promise in March. Following a resolution by the United Nations Security Council seeking an immediate ceasefire and more humanitarian aid to Gaza, he vowed to sever Bogota's ties with the Jewish state should Tel Aviv fail to meet the demands.
Colombia's decision did not sit well with Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz, who took to X to voice out his condemnation. The Israeli official accused Petro of abetting Hamas – formally the Islamic Resistance Movement – and "siding with the most despicable monsters known to mankind" in a May 1 post. In true Israeli fashion, Katz also branded Petro as a "hate-filled, anti-Semitic president" in the same post.
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Several countries – Brazil, Chile, Bolivia, Honduras, Belize, Chad, Jordan, Bahrain, Turkey and South Africa – have recalled their ambassadors from Israel due to the hostilities in Gaza, with some breaking ties entirely. South Africa has also brought a case against Israel in the International Court of Justice at The Hague, accusing it of genocidal acts against civilians. But Pretoria also denounced Hamas for its Oct. 7 attack, which the group dubbed Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.
Petro earlier threatened to sever ties with Israel
This was not the first time Petro threatened to cut ties with Israel. Last October, he brought up the possibility of Bogota and Tel Aviv ending diplomatic relations after the Jewish nation suspended military exports to the South American country. According to Colombia Reports, "Israel has long sold un-assembled Galil rifles to Colombia's state-run military industry factory Indumil."
The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) announced the suspension of "security" exports in response to Petro's opposition to crimes against humanity committed by Israel's security forces in illegally occupied territories. The suspension came weeks after Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
The Colombian president compared the Gaza Strip to concentration camps where Nazis killed millions of Jews during World War II. He also condemned the "genocide" of Palestinian civilians in a flurry of social media posts. (Related: Colombia threatening to cut diplomatic ties with Israel over "neo-Nazi" GENOCIDE in Gaza.)
Lior Haiat, spokesman for the MFA, denounced Petro's remarks at the time. According to him, the Colombian leader's statements "reflect support for the atrocities committed by the Hamas terrorists, fuel anti-Semitism, affect Israel state representatives and threaten the peace of the Jewish community in Colombia." Haiat continued that "as an initial measure, Israel decided to suspend security exports to Colombia."
"If we have to suspend foreign relations with Israel, we will suspend them," Petro responded, adding that Colombians "don't support genocides." He also asked other Latin American governments for solidarity and urged Israelis to support peace.
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