*Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro has issued a decree banning coal exports to Israel, in the latest deterioration of bilateral relations. The decree states that the export ban is needed as part of a wider campaign to “stop acts of genocide against the Palestinian people”. It cites figures from the national statistics department (Dane) stating that from January-August 2023, Colombian exports to Israel totalled US$375m, of which a “significant portion” was coal. It adds that 93% of the US$375m total consisted of mineral and energy exports. Colombia severed diplomatic ties with Israel last month in protest at the war in Gaza, and the Israeli government has previously said that it will end military exports to Colombia in response to Petro’s criticisms.
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