Petro prohibits coal export to Israel: “We are not accomplices”

Colombian President Gustavo Petro ordered the Navy to intercept and block any coal boarding to Israel.

“No ton of coal goes to Israel. It’s an order. We are not genocidal accomplices,” said Colombian agent last Thursday (25), by accusing companies and members of the government itself to violate their decree of 2024.

Coal is one of the main raw materials of the Israeli energy matrix, with a central role in the country’s military industry.

In 2023, Colombia provided more than 60% of coal imported by Israel. The formal prohibition of these exports was instituted in August 2024, after the breach of diplomatic relations between Bogota and Tel Aviv.

According to Petro, the measure aims to prevent Colombian resources from being used “to make bombs that kill children in Gaza.”

He also directly responsible for former commerce minister Luis Carlos Reyes, for maneuvers that would have allowed the shipping of loads even after the decree. “If they do not obey me, then this government is a liar,” he said.

Although the initial decree provided for exceptions to contracts previously approved or released by the customs, Petro reported that multinationals such as Glencore and Drummond continued to send, supported by institutional breaches.

According to Standard & Poor’s agency, between September 2024 and April 2025, 1.24 million tons of coal to Israel were exported, equivalent to about $ 100 million.

Drummond claimed that the loads were authorized by official committees, while Glencore claimed to have been sending before the ban. Both rejected the accusations of complicity made by Petro and international organizations.

At the legal level, the president underlies his order in Article 21 of the GATT, a treaty governing the World Trade Organization (WTO), which is allowed to suspend commercial contracts in war or genocide situations.

“It is my order as commander-in chief of the Armed Forces of Colombia, and I take responsibility,” he said. “There is no ton of coal to Israel. We are not genocidal accomplices.”

Petro also appealed to international law, citing decisions of the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice that classify the bombing in Gaza as war crimes.

“The courts said that those who throw the bombs are a war criminal. If you step on Colombian soil, it should be arrested,” he said. UN rapporteur for Palestine, Francesca Albanese, publicly supported the Colombian decision and said coal extracted by Glencore and Drummond supports the infrastructure that maintains Israeli occupation.

Colombia has broken Diplomatic Relations with Israel in May and, since April, seeks to join the process led by South Africa into the International Court of Justice, which accuses Israel of genocide.

On July 17, Bogota hosted a meeting of the Hague group with delegations from more than 30 countries to discuss measures against Israeli attacks on the civilian population in Gaza, where more than 60,000 Palestinians have died.

“Someday the people of Israel will change this. There will be embassies. We will hug. But while shooting bombs against innocent, no,” Petro said. “Colombia doesn’t get dirty with this kind of adventure,” said the Colombian.