Colombia’s President appoints Jorge Ivan Ospina as the country’s first ambassador to the “State of Palestine,” formalizing diplomatic ties with an embassy in Ramallah.
The government of Colombian President Gustavo Petro officially appointed Jorge Ivan Ospina as the country’s first ambassador to the “State of Palestine” on Monday, formalizing a diplomatic presence with an embassy in Ramallah, the Anadolu news agency reported.
Ospina, formerly the mayor of Cali, publicly acknowledged his appointment on his X account, expressing gratitude to President Petro and Foreign Minister Laura Sarabia.
He affirmed 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, builds upon Colombia’s official recognition of the “State of Palestine” in 2018. Previously, relations were primarily conducted through multilateral organizations.
The new embassy will focus on securing the release of Colombian-Israeli citizen Elkana Bohbot, who has been held by Hamas in Gaza since October 7, 2023, supporting humanitarian assistance, and promoting a two-state solution. Ospina stated his hope to travel to Ramallah “as quickly as possible.”
Petro has long been critical of Israel’s war in Gaza and announced in May of 2024 that Colombia was severing diplomatic ties with Israel over its response to the Hamas massacre of October 7.
In addition to ordering the opening of an embassy in Ramallah, he also announced the suspension of coal exports to Israel over the war in Gaza, stating that coal exports will only resume “when the genocide” in Gaza stops.
In another incident, Petro expressed support for comments made by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who compared Israel’s actions in Gaza to those of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler against Jews during World War II.
In February, Petro published a lengthy post on social media site X, in which he called for the release of Bohbot and claimed, “His freedom is a tribute to Colombia and its solidarity with the Palestinian people.”
