Bolivia breaks diplomatic relations with Israel:

Bolivia broke off diplomatic relations with Israel this Tuesday (31), considering that the military offensive launched by the country against the Gaza Strip on October 7 is “aggressive and disproportionate”.

The announcement was made by the Minister of the Bolivian Presidency, María Nela Prada, and the country’s Vice Chancellor, Freddy Mamani, who highlighted the Bolivian government’s “repudiation and condemnation” of Israeli actions that “threaten peace and security International”.

“As part of its position of respect for life, we sent this official statement to the State of Israel, through which we express our decision, as the Plurinational State of Bolivia, to sever diplomatic relations with Israel,” said Prada.

::Israel and Palestine: an endless war::

The minister also stated that the Bolivian government “demands an end to the attacks on Gaza that have so far caused thousands of fatalities and the forced migration of Palestinians, as well as an end to the blockade that prevents the entry of food, water and other elements essential to life.” Also according to Nela Prada, the country will send “humanitarian aid to those affected in the Gaza Strip and will be made possible through the Ministry of Defense”.

According to information from the Gaza Ministry of Health, at least 8,306 people died as a result of Israeli attacks against the region, among which 3,500 of the victims were children.

The announcement came one day after Bolivian President Luis Arce met with the Palestinian ambassador to the country, Mahmoud Elalwani, and expressed support for the Palestinian cause. “We cannot remain silent and continue to allow the suffering of the Palestinian people, especially children, who have the right to live. We reject the war crimes being committed in Gaza”, stated the president.

:: Israel intensifies bombings and carries out land incursions into Gaza ::

With the decision, Bolivia becomes the South American country to adopt the most incisive stance condemning Israel since the beginning of recent hostilities. Previously, the President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, had already threatened to break relations with the Israeli State, but did not implement the proposal.

In addition to Arce and Petro, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has also adopted a critical and openly confrontational stance towards Israel. Caracas broke relations with the country in 2009, during the government of former president Hugo Chávez.

Brazil, on the other hand, has been adopting a more cautious stance towards the offensive, avoiding direct friction with Israel and its allies to achieve a ceasefire – pos. The strategy, however, has not yet borne fruit: the country is the rotating president of the UN Security Council and its mandate will end this Tuesday without being able to build a truce.

Editing: Rodrigo Durão Coelho