Colombia stops coal exports to Israel: President – World

BOGOTA – Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced on his social media account on Saturday that his country would stop exporting coal to Israel due to the attacks on the Gaza Strip, which he again described as “genocide.”

The draft decree presented by Petro will be published by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Tourism on its website for comment between June 11 and 17 before it comes into force.

Official data show that Colombia exported $447 million worth of coal to Israel in 2023, a 57 percent decrease from 2022, while in the first four months of 2024, $88 million worth of coal was exported to Israel.

Relations between Colombia and Israel have become more tense since the outbreak of a new round of conflict between Israel and Palestine on October 7, 2023. Petro has repeatedly criticized Israel and called on other Latin American countries to join Colombia in condemning Israel.

In a speech on May 1, Petro announced the severance of diplomatic relations between Colombia and Israel.