Colombia is the latest and largest country to sever ties with Israel

BOGOTÁ, Colombia — Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced Wednesday his government will suspend diplomatic relations with Israel, its longtime defense ally, making Colombia the largest country to sever ties amid the war in Gaza.

Petro, Colombia’s first leftist president, described Israel’s government and president as “genocidal.”

“If Palestine dies, humanity dies, and we won’t let it die,” Petro said during a Worker’s Day celebration in the packed Plaza de Bolívar in the country’s capital.