President Gustavo Petro sent a letter of support this Saturday to the members of 44 countries who will set sail tomorrow for Gaza aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla, an international initiative that will attempt to break Israel's blockade on humanitarian aid.
In his message, which reflects Colombia's commitment to the Palestinian cause, Petro underlines the shared struggle for dignity, justice and the defense of life, in the midst of the humanitarian crisis that the Gaza Strip is experiencing.
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"We send a hug of solidarity to those from different corners of the world who are preparing to set sail for Gaza in the coming days," Petro said in his letter, in which he stressed that the flotilla's mission, which will depart from Barcelona, is not only a maritime journey, but an"ethical cry" that challenges the silence and international indifference towards the Palestinian people.
The letter delved into the similarities between Colombia's historic struggle against violence and conflict, and the current situation in Palestine:"If Palestine dies, all of humanity dies with it."
(You can read: Colombia and Israel, five years of a FTA marked by tensions and low diversification).
"We understand the weight of pain and the price of war. We know what it means to mourn the fallen, to walk in hunger, to bury hope," added the president, who considered that"silence in the face of genocide is another form of complicity."
Colombia broke diplomatic relations with Israel in May 2024, in rejection of the military offensive in Gaza, which according to United Nations figures has left more than 60,000 dead, mostly civilians.
— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) August 30, 2025
Petro has been one of the main Latin American critics of that war, which he openly calls a"genocide," and has supported the lawsuits against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for war crimes before the International Criminal Court (ICC). (You can read: )."Let the wind drive your ships with the force of history, let the sea open its arms and let the world hear your message: Gaza is not alone. Palestine is not alone. Humanity cannot remain silent," the president concluded.
