Colombia appoints first ambassador to Palestine amid Gaza crisis

Colombian President Gustavo Petro's government officially appointed Jorge Ivan Ospina as the country's first ambassador to the State of Palestine on Monday.

The move formalizes Colombia's diplomatic presence with an embassy established in Ramallah.

Ospina, the former mayor of Cali, the third most populous city in Colombia, publicly acknowledged his appointment on his X account.

In his post, he thanked President Petro and Foreign Minister Laura Sarabia and outlined his commitment to "denouncing the genocide that the Palestinian people are suffering today" and working toward the "freedom of those who live there."

The appointment, signed by Foreign Minister Sarabia, marks a significant step in building on Colombia's official recognition of the State of Palestine in 2018. Previously, relations with Palestine were primarily conducted through multilateral organizations.

The new embassy will focus on securing the release of Colombian-Israeli citizen Elkana Bohbot, supporting humanitarian assistance for the Palestinian community, and promoting the recognition of a two-state solution. Ospina has said he hopes to travel to Ramallah "as quickly as possible."

The appointment came as Israel's military offensive in Gaza continues, exacerbating a severe humanitarian crisis in the region.

Petro has consistently been one of the most vocal leaders in expressing opposition to Israel's actions and solidarity with the Palestinian cause. He has publicly supported measures, including calls for the potential arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while simultaneously bolstering Colombia's bilateral relations with Palestine.

Petro also severed diplomatic ties with Israel's government on May 1, 2024, and more recently, he has intensified his criticism of Israel's escalating attacks on the Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip, including the blocking of humanitarian aid.

On Monday, the Colombian president reiterated his appeal to the US leadership to help halt "the genocide in Gaza."

"In the fight for their lives, there are girls trying to survive the bombing of a school by Netanyahu, the genocidal man," Petro said on X. "There is a decisive complicity in producing this horror in the US and the EU."