Colombia officially stops coal exports to Israel over Gaza massacres

Colombia has officially halted coal exports to Israel over Tel Aviv’s use of the material in weapons used to attack Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, President Gustavo Petro said on Sunday.

“Colombian coal is being used to make bombs that kill Palestinian children,” Petro said on X, justifying the decision as a response to ongoing Israeli attacks on Gaza.

The decree, signed by President Petro together with the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Finance, Mines and Trade, will come into effect five days after publication in the Official Gazette.

Colombia, which exports 5% of its total coal production to Israel, has also suspended diplomatic relations with the country, as announced in May, due to the Israeli attack in Gaza.

Petro broke off diplomatic ties with Israel, saying he could not have relations with the “genocidal” government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Both governments still have consulates on each other’s soil and conduct trade.

Colombia has long been dependent on Israel for military equipment, including assault rifles and intelligence equipment. The South American country has also purchased more than 30 fighter jets from Israel over the past three decades and relies on Israeli companies to maintain them.

However, new military purchases have been halted as relations between the two countries deteriorate. Critics of Petro have said the president’s decision to cut ties with Israel jeopardizes Colombia’s security capabilities as the military battles drug cartels and rebel groups in rural parts of the country.

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