Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced yesterday, that his country will soon stop exporting coal to Israel while the war in the Gaza Strip continues, reported France Press, quoted by BTA.
"We will suspend coal exports to Israel until it stops the genocide,”, the president of the South American country wrote in "Aix".
In May, he announced the severance of diplomatic relations with Israel and described the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as "committing genocide" because of the way the war is being waged in the Gaza Strip. Petro also ended the purchase of weapons produced by Israel - one of the main suppliers of the security forces of this South American country.
The decree, issued by the Ministry of Trade and Industry, specified that the suspension of coal exports would apply "until the interim measures ordered by the International Court of Justice of the United Nations" are fully implemented.
In late May, the UN's highest court ordered a halt to Israeli operations in the town of Rafah and the opening of the "Rafah border crossing, to allow unhindered delivery" of humanitarian aid, as well as the immediate release of the hostages held in the besieged enclave.
Decisions of the UN International Court of Justice are legally binding, but it does not have mechanisms for their implementation, according to AFP.
According to the Colombian government, the suspension of coal sales will take effect five days after its publication in the country's state gazette and will not affect shipments for which a transport permit has already been requested.
According to the Israeli Embassy in Bogota, Colombia was the leading supplier of coal to Israel in 2023, with exports worth about $450 million.