Bogotá: Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Wednesday ordered the expulsion of all remaining Israeli diplomats from the country after Israel intercepted a Gaza-bound aid flotilla and detained two Colombian activists on board.
Petro said the two women, identified as Manuela Bedoya and Luna Barreto, were engaged in “human solidarity activities with Palestine” when they were detained by Israeli forces in international waters as part of the Global Sumud Flotilla. His office demanded their immediate release.
Israel’s foreign ministry confirmed that “several vessels” in the flotilla had been intercepted and redirected to an Israeli port, with passengers taken into custody.
Although Petro severed diplomatic ties with Israel last year, four Israeli diplomats had remained in Bogotá, a source at the Israeli consulate told AFP. On Wednesday, Petro announced their expulsion, denouncing what he described on X as “a new international crime” by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Read More: Israeli Navy Intercepts Gaza Aid Flotilla
The Colombian leader also declared the termination of a free-trade agreement with Israel that had been in force since 2020.
Petro, a leftist and one of Netanyahu’s harshest critics, has repeatedly accused Israel of committing “genocide” in Gaza. He has also targeted the United States, calling former President Donald Trump an “accomplice” to Israel’s actions.
Last week, Petro joined a pro-Palestinian demonstration in New York, where he urged members of the US military to “disobey” Trump. In response, Washington revoked his US visa.