Colombian President Gustavo Petro condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza on Friday, calling the humanitarian catastrophe a genocide and warning that those who accept it are “anti-human” and accomplices to war crimes.
"Anyone who accepts this genocide is anti-human; not even beasts would do such a thing," Petro wrote on X alongside a video footage showing Palestinians rushing toward humanitarian aid convoys.
He said such people are "simply accomplices" to genocide and "spiritual outcasts from the earth."
Colombia terminated diplomatic relations with Israel on May 3, citing continued military operations against Palestinians in Gaza.
Israel has killed more than 63,000 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, which is facing famine.
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.
Colombia requested to join the case alongside South Africa, which brought it to the U.N.'s top court in the wake of Israel's war. Petro previously suspended weapons sales to Israel.
The backlash to Israel's attacks on Gaza has been strong in Latin America, with Colombia and Cuba accusing Israel of carrying out a genocide in Gaza and recalling their ambassadors from Tel Aviv while Bolivia cut ties altogether.
