Colombia President stresses support for Gaza, blames US for obstructing peace efforts

Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro expressed his unwavering support for Palestinians under attack from Israel and blamed the US administration for obstructing peace efforts in Gaza.

The comments, made to Arabic news site Arabi21, come after the US revoked his visa for comments he made over Israel’s war on Gaza.

"I believe that today we have reached a critical stage in the situation in Gaza, where diplomacy is no longer effective. A person like Trump has obstructed and continues to obstruct every effort towards dialogue and peace," he said.

"This means we must resort to an alternative practical mechanism, such as the Uniting for Peace Mechanism, which is essentially based on a vote with no veto power, and which can order the UN to organise an armed force to protect the people," he continued.

The remarks come after Petro criticised Washington for violating international laws and doubled down on his support for Palestine.

In posts on social media platform X, he wrote: "I no longer have a visa to travel to the United States. I don’t care. I don’t need a visa … because I’m not only a Colombian citizen but a European citizen, and I truly consider myself a free person in the world".

"Revoking it for denouncing genocide shows the US no longer respects international law," he continued.

Speaking to an Arabi21 reporter, he also noted Colombia’s historic support for Palestine, adding that "most Latin American countries have long recognised the State of Palestine, and we support Gaza".

"The first point of entry for immigrants to the continent was the Colombian Caribbean coast. Africans were also forcibly brought there, and then came the turn of our indigenous ancestors who lived on their land for two thousand years. Through the Castilians, our Roman ancestors also arrived, and this is what made our blood a rich mixture and an assimilation of human diversity," he continued.  

In a speech at the UN General Assembly, which has since circulated widely, Petro called on the world to "unite its armies to liberate Palestine".

Addressing pro-Palestine protesters outside the UN headquarters in New York amid the UN General Assembly on Thursday, the Colombian leader called on activists and US soldiers to "disobey the orders of Trump," and "obey the orders of humanity".

The latest developments come as a UN inquiry found that Israel’s offensive in Gaza amounts to genocide.

Petro cut diplomatic ties with Israel in 2024 and banned Colombian coal exports to the country.

Israel’s war on Gaza has killed over 65,549 Palestinians since the start of the war in October 2023 and wounded over 167,000 others in the same time frame.

The war has plunged the Strip into a deep humanitarian crisis and levelled entire neighbourhoods. Leading rights group Amnesty International has also found that Israel’s actions in Gaza amount to genocide.