BOGOTA (Dispatches) – 
Colombian President Gustavo Petro has ordered the Navy to intercept and block coal shipments to the Israeli-occupied territories in response to Tel Aviv’s genocidal war on Gaza, criticizing officials within his administration for defying his measure against the occupying regime.
Last May, Pedro announced cutting ties with the regime for having a genocidal president.
Petro later announced in June the suspension of all coal exports to the occupying entity. In a social media post at the time, he stated that all exports would cease “until the genocide is stopped.”
Colombia’s export ban against the occupying regime was formally enacted in August 2024.
Despite the ban, which was designed to protest the Zionist regime’s genocidal war against Gaza, his administration made limited exceptions for previously approved or customs-cleared shipments.
In recent days, Petro has harshly criticized officials in his administration for defying the measure and continuing to authorize coal exports.
On Thursday, Petro publicly condemned this defiance, announcing on social media that a coal shipment had again left for Israel-occupied territories and that the Navy would now be tasked with stopping such exports entirely.
“Not a single ton of coal should leave Colombia for Israel,” he declared.
He said internal actors have enabled unlawful shipments under corporate pressure.
Expressing his frustration, he warned, “If they don’t listen to us, then this government is a liar,” calling out what he sees as insubordination and institutional sabotage. 
Petro has called on Colombian society to actively engage in the country’s coal export debate, and urged Labor Minister Gloria Inés Ramírez to initiate an emergency dialogue with unions in the coal sector.
The left-wing leader who came to power in 2022 has been one of the region’s most vocal critics of Israel since the start of the war on Gaza, where close to 60,000 Palestinians have been killed so far.
Petro has repeatedly slammed the Israeli regime for committing genocide in the besieged territory, and has drawn the ire of Israeli officials and pro-Israel advocacy groups.
In April 2024, Colombia asked the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to allow the country to join South Africa’s genocide case against Israel.