Colombia vows to intervene in South Africa's ICJ case against 'Israel'
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Colombia has issued a call urging support for South Africa's case against "Israel" and announced its upcoming intervention to champion the Palestinian cause and people.
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A girl carries a sign that reads in Spanish "Palestine for Palestinians. Murdering Zionists Out!", during a march in solidarity with the Palestinian people, in Bogota, Colombia, Nov. 29, 2023. (AP)
Colombia has called on countries that are parties to the United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide to support South Africa's genocide case against "Israel" at the International Court of Justice.
Colombian Ambassador to Uruguay Juan Jose Quintana Aranguren told Sputnik that his country urged the 150 signatories to the Convention to follow the Colombian example and denounce "Israel" and hold it accountable for its actions in Gaza.
"We send an open invitation to all the countries-parties to the Convention, of which there are 150. This is a significant number, representing two-thirds of the international community. We call on them to follow our example: to submit their statements and actively participate in the process, supporting South Africa and sending a message to Israel that it cannot continue its current action," he said.
This comes after President Gustavo Petro and the Foreign Minister gave instructions stipulating the country's intervention in the ICJ case as a means of tangible support to the Palestinian cause, in a statement issued by the Colombian Foreign Ministry.
The statement also condemned the international community's silence and the impunity extended to "Israel" as it intentionally starves Palestinians in Gaza, saying, "This is a gross violation of international law that cannot be tolerated."
"Israel" is legally required to ensure the delivery of aid, avoid genocidal actions, and protect civilian lives in Gaza by the ICJ, all of which have been consistently neglected. In this context, Colombia said it hoped "Israel will immediately comply with these measures and that this will contribute to ending the bloodbath in Gaza and the occupied territories."
¡Colombia intervendrá en el caso de Sudáfrica vs. Israel ante la Corte Internacional de Justicia de La Haya! @CIJ_ICJ. Esta intervención confirma nuestro compromiso con la #JusticiaInternacional, #DerechosHumanos y la #DignidadHumana. Espero que Israel cumpla de inmediato estas… pic.twitter.com/TLVNsui1LX
— Pedro Suárez Vacca (@suarezvacca) April 2, 2024
Precedents of Colombia's dignified solidarity
Previously, the Colombian President dubbed "Israel's" crimes in Gaza as "Nazi" and said he fully supports the International Criminal Court investigating Israeli war crimes in Palestine.
The Colombian President is considered one of the prominent leaders who have condemned the massacres committed by the Israeli occupation against Palestinian civilians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
He has called on US President Joe Biden to act quickly to stop the genocide in Gaza and previously shared archival photos of the Nakba that befell the Palestinian people in 1948, along with a map illustrating the trajectory of the occupation of Palestinian lands over the years.
Petro also called for awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to the South African legal team in recognition of their lawsuit against "Israel" before the ICJ over committing genocide in Palestine.
On his official account on X, Petro wrote, "If anyone deserved the Nobel Peace Prize today, it would be the South African legal team that has filed a complaint against Netanyahu for genocide in defense of the Palestinian people."
Si alguien hoy mereciera el premio nobel de la Paz ese sería el equipo jurídico de sudáfrica que ha puesto denuncia por genocidio a Netanyahu en defensa del pueblo palestino.
— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) January 13, 2024
