Colombian President Gustavo Petro has signed a decree banning coal exports to Israel.
The Latin American nation is the largest supplier of the fossil fuel to the Jewish state. Last year, Israel purchased $450 million worth of coal from Colombia.
Colombia’s Industry and Commerce Ministry published the order to end coal sales to Israel on Sunday; it was dated Aug. 14.
But the Colombian Miners Association warned that the country cannot stop coal exports due to the free trade agreement between Jerusalem and Bogota, and threatened that companies producing coal may take action, BNN Bloomberg reported on Sunday.
The coal ban would not impact Israel’s energy security, as it has other sources available and the Israel Electric Cooperation can easily find alternative sources to coal.
Although most of Israel’s electricity today is produced with coal, the country plans to end its reliance on it by 2026.
Colombia’s far-left leader is a vocal opponent of Jerusalem’s war in Gaza started by the Hamas terrorist group when it led a massacre of some 1,200 people in southern Israel on Oct. 7.
In May, Petro announced the severing of diplomatic ties with Jerusalem over the war against Hamas in Gaza.
“Here in front of you, the government of change, of the president of the republic, announces that tomorrow we will break diplomatic relations with the State of Israel … for having a government, for having a president who is genocidal,” said Petro.
In response, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz tweeted: “The president of Colombia promised to give a reward to the murderers of Hamas—and the day has come. History will remember that Gustavo Petro decided to side with the most despicable monsters known to mankind, who burned babies, murdered children, raped women and kidnapped innocent civilians.”
