Leading Coal Exporter Implements Ban on Shipments to Israel
The Colombian government made this decision due to “the seriousness of the humanitarian situation” in Gaza. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Colombia has taken steps to urge West Jerusalem to halt hostilities in Gaza.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro has enacted a decree that bans coal exports to Israel, highlighting the humanitarian crisis in Gaza that has arisen due to Israel’s military actions following the cross-border attack by Hamas last October.
As Israel's largest supplier of fossil fuels, Colombia's trade with the country reached $450 million in 2023. The Colombian Miners Association had expressed concerns about this decision, which was first announced in June, referencing the trade agreement between Bogotá and West Jerusalem as well as opposition from coal producers.
A document released on the presidential website on Sunday explains that the decree was issued in light of “the seriousness of the humanitarian situation that has arisen in Palestine following the military operation carried out by Israel after 7 October 2023.”
The document further cites a recent report from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, which noted that “32,333 Palestinians had died, of whom 9,000 were women and 13,000 were children; that 1.1 million people were experiencing food insecurity; and that 1.7 million people had been displaced from their territories” since the conflict began.
The ban will be implemented five days after the decree’s publication and will remain in effect “until the orders of provisional measures issued by the International Court of Justice in the Process of the application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (South Africa v. Israel) are fully complied with.”
Petro took to his official X (formerly Twitter) account to share the order, stating that the action was necessary because “Colombian coal is used to make bombs to kill Palestinian children.”
Historically, Colombia has been among Israel’s closest allies in Latin America. However, relations have significantly worsened since the onset of Israel’s military operation in Gaza. The tensions began when Petro labeled the operation as “genocide” and drew comparisons between the Israeli military and Nazis, remarks that West Jerusalem condemned as “hostile and antisemitic statements.” In response, Israel halted all security exports to Colombia, leading to a break in diplomatic relations.
James del Carmen contributed to this report for TROIB News
Colombian President Gustavo Petro has enacted a decree that bans coal exports to Israel, highlighting the humanitarian crisis in Gaza that has arisen due to Israel’s military actions following the cross-border attack by Hamas last October.
As Israel's largest supplier of fossil fuels, Colombia's trade with the country reached $450 million in 2023. The Colombian Miners Association had expressed concerns about this decision, which was first announced in June, referencing the trade agreement between Bogotá and West Jerusalem as well as opposition from coal producers.
A document released on the presidential website on Sunday explains that the decree was issued in light of “the seriousness of the humanitarian situation that has arisen in Palestine following the military operation carried out by Israel after 7 October 2023.”
The document further cites a recent report from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, which noted that “32,333 Palestinians had died, of whom 9,000 were women and 13,000 were children; that 1.1 million people were experiencing food insecurity; and that 1.7 million people had been displaced from their territories” since the conflict began.
The ban will be implemented five days after the decree’s publication and will remain in effect “until the orders of provisional measures issued by the International Court of Justice in the Process of the application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (South Africa v. Israel) are fully complied with.”
Petro took to his official X (formerly Twitter) account to share the order, stating that the action was necessary because “Colombian coal is used to make bombs to kill Palestinian children.”
Historically, Colombia has been among Israel’s closest allies in Latin America. However, relations have significantly worsened since the onset of Israel’s military operation in Gaza. The tensions began when Petro labeled the operation as “genocide” and drew comparisons between the Israeli military and Nazis, remarks that West Jerusalem condemned as “hostile and antisemitic statements.” In response, Israel halted all security exports to Colombia, leading to a break in diplomatic relations.
James del Carmen contributed to this report for TROIB News
