Gustavo Petro has accused the US-led bloc’s leaders of supporting “genocide” in Gaza
Colombian President Gustavo Petro stated that Colombia should end its association with NATO, alleging that the military alliance’s leadership is complicit in the “genocide” of Palestinians.
Colombia, traditionally a US ally in South America, became a NATO global partner in 2017. Petro, Colombia’s first leftist president since taking office in 2022, previously cut diplomatic ties with Israel, citing what he views as the Israeli government’s genocidal actions against Palestinians.
Speaking at a pro-Palestinian conference in Bogota on Wednesday, Petro questioned Colombia’s continued involvement with NATO, asking, ”What do we do in NATO? If NATO’s top brass are for genocide, what are we doing there?”
He further inquired, ”Hasn’t the time come for another military alliance? Because how can we be with armies that drop bombs on children?” adding, “Those armies aren’t armies of freedom, they’re armies of darkness. We must have armies of light.”
Petro described NATO as an outdated Cold War entity, arguing that nations like Colombia are treated as subordinate members, receiving symbolic partnerships without full membership.
The two-day Bogota conference hosted representatives from a dozen Global South countries. They signed a declaration advocating for economic sanctions and legal measures against Israel, including an arms embargo, restrictions on dual-use goods, denial of port access for vessels carrying cargo for Israeli forces, and support for international accountability regarding alleged crimes in occupied territories.
Petro’s criticism marks a departure from Colombia’s historically close relationship with Israel. The late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez once referred to Colombia as the “Israel of Latin America,” suggesting it played a similar geopolitical role in the region.
Israel’s military campaign in Gaza was initiated after a deadly attack by Hamas in October 2023. The initial independent casualty study in Gaza estimated almost 84,000 fatalities by January 2025. Israel is currently urging Palestinians to relocate to a “humanitarian city” purportedly free of Hamas influence, which critics denounce as a concentration camp euphemism.