Colombia bans coal exports to Israel over Gaza genocide

The move reinforces a prior ban issued in August 2024 and is intended as a response to what Petro described as a "genocide" against Palestinians in Gaza, Uruguayan news portal MercoPress reported.

He emphasized that Colombia "will not be complicit" in Israel's genocide in Gaza.

As the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, Petro ordered the Colombian Navy to intercept any outgoing shipments destined for Israel.

He also warned that companies violating the ban would face contract terminations.

“Those who disobey the decision will see their contracts with the state canceled,” he said, directly referencing multinational mining firm Glencore.

Petro also criticized members of his administration who allegedly allowed coal exports to continue in recent months despite the earlier directive.

Colombia supplies around 5% of its coal output to Israel, which sources nearly half of its coal imports from Colombia, making the ban a notable disruption.

Diplomatic ties between Bogota and Tel Aviv were severed in 2023 following mounting civilian deaths in Gaza.

Petro hoped for renewed relations, saying this could occur "once the violence ends and peace is restored."

Israel has imposed a blockade on Gaza for 18 years and, since March 2, has shut down all crossings, worsening humanitarian conditions in the enclave.

Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, the Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, killing nearly 60,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children. The relentless bombardment has destroyed the enclave and led to food shortages.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.