Ahead of planned pro-Palestinian protests in Bogota, Colombia, on March 21, the U.S. embassy announced they are “monitoring” the situation and that “visitors to the embassy should take this into account.”
The embassy stated that demonstrators are expected to gather around 4:00 p.m. local time in front of the Palestinian Embassy before moving to the Ministry of Defense at 5:00 p.m. They are then expected to head to the U.S. embassy.
“Street access to the U.S. embassy may be impacted,” the statement read, adding that officials “will continue to monitor protest activity and provide updates if necessary.”
The embassy then provided a list of eight actions for citizens and visitors to take for protection, which includes avoiding crowds, keeping a low profile, not using cell phones in public and locking car doors.
In May 2024, Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced that the South American country would be cutting diplomatic ties with Israel over its war against the Hamas terror group in the Gaza Strip.
In July 2024, thousands of Colombians attended a concert organized by the government in support of Palestinians. A large Palestinian flag was draped over the Columbian Parliament building in Bogota with text stating, “Stop genocide.”