Colombia's president says country will break diplomatic relations with Israel over Gaza war

Bogota, Colombia: Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Wednesday announced his government will break diplomatic relations with Israel effective Thursd...

Bogota, Colombia: Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Wednesday announced his government will break diplomatic relations with Israel effective Thursday in the latest escalation of tensions between the countries over Israel's war in Gaza.

Petro again described Israel’s siege of Gaza as "genocide.” He previously suspended purchases of weapons from Israel and compared that country’s actions in Gaza to those of Nazi Germany.

"Tomorrow, diplomatic relations with the State of Israel will be broken … for having a genocidal president,” Petro said during an International Workers’ Day march in Colombia’s capital. "If Palestine dies, humanity dies, and we are not going to let it die.”

Historically, Colombia had been one of Israel’s closest partners in Latin America. But relations between the two nations have cooled since Petro was elected as Colombia’s first leftist president in 2022.

Petro participated in Wednesday’s march in Bogota to promote his proposed health care, pension and labor reforms.