Bolivia has become one of the world’s first nations to cut ties with Israel over the war in Gaza, in which it alleges Israel has committed military atrocities of a grossly disproportionate nature when civilian deaths are accounted for. Chile–with the largest Palestinian community outside Gaza—and Colombia, have followed suit with recalls of their respective ambassadors, reported Al Jazeera earlier today.
In addition, Al Arabiya has reported just this Wednesday afternoon that Jordan has recalled its ambassador to Israel in protest of Jerusalem’s conduct of the war in Gaza, as well.
Bolivia’s Minister of the Presidency, Maria Nela Prada, announced that the nation will also be sending humanitarian aid to Gaza. “We demand an end to the attacks which have so far caused thousands of civilian deaths and the forced displacement of Palestinians,” she announced at a press conference.
Not shockingly, Israel responded with accusations that the mountainous, landlocked South American country was “capitulating to terrorism and to the Ayatollah regime in Iran.”
Bolivia’s continental neighbors to the west and north similarly condemned the ferocity of aggression towards Gaza civilians and recalled their ambassadors largely because their calls for a cease-fire have fallen on deaf ears.
Chilean President Gabriel Boric lashed out at Israel for “unacceptable violations of International Humanitarian Law,” thereby following a policy of “collective punishment” against the people of Gaza.
Gustavo Petro, the Colombian President, labelled the situation as a “massacre of the Palestinian people.” Though Mexico and Brazil have stopped short of diplomatic downsizing as a result of the conflict, they too have called for a cease-fire.
Latin America is perhaps the world’s most flip-flopping political region in that typically, whether the president hails from the right-wing or left-wing, (s)he is only permitted one term to show an economic turnaround for his/her respective country. If that does not occur within the allotted presidential term, the opposition leader almost invariably gets voted in.
It has been much more common in this part of the world for progressive/liberal candidates to support the Palestinian cause, and for conservative/reactionary leaders to align with Israel.
Over 8,500 Palestinians were killed by Israel in less than four weeks.