Colombia's Petro urges sailors to not transport coal to 'Israel'

By Al Mayadeen English
21 Aug 2024 09:19
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The Colombian president's post comes a week after signing a decree officially banning coal exports to "Israel".

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Colombia's President Gustavo Petro attends a swearing-in ceremony for the new army commander at the Jose Maria Cordoba military academy in Bogota, Colombia, May 31, 2024. (AP)

Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Tuesday urged "all the sailors of the world" to refuse to transport coal to the Israeli occupation entity amid its ongoing war on the besieged Gaza Strip.

"May all the sailors of the world and our Indigenous peoples refuse to transport coal from any country to Netanyahu," Petro posted on his account on the X platform, a week after signing a decree officially banning coal exports to "Israel".

Colombia is "Israel's" primary coal supplier, with exports totaling approximately $450 million in 2023, according to the Israeli embassy in Bogota.

The Colombian leader said in early June that his country's coal exports to "Israel" would cease "until the genocide is stopped."

His post on Tuesday was in response to a report citing experts who claimed that the decree "violates free economic competition regulations" and is "constitutionally unfeasible and poses a risk to Colombia's economy."

"Decreto que prohíbe exportación de carbón viola normas de libre competencia económica".

Expertos aseguran que la decisión es constitucionalmente inviable, además de ser un riesgo para la economía colombiana.

Amplíe la información aquí ⬇️
https://t.co/VNsdLn4Us1
— Portafolio (@Portafolioco) August 19, 2024

Hamas praised Colombia for imposing the ban, urging the international community to sever ties with the Israeli occupation regime.

"We call on all countries to sever their relations with this fascist entity and to work by all means to boycott, isolate, impose sanctions on it, and prosecute its leaders as war criminals before international courts," the Palestinian group said in a statement issued on Monday.

It also hailed Petro's statement highlighting his country's coal was being used to create bombs and murder Palestinian children.

Elsewhere, Hamas expressed its appreciation for the Latin American country's condemnation of the occupation's 10-month genocide in Gaza and its cutting of diplomatic relations with "Israel" in May.