On October 2, 2025, a dramatic series of diplomatic and grassroots actions unfolded across continents in response to Israel’s interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla, a convoy of about 50 vessels carrying humanitarian activists—including two Colombian citizens—toward the besieged Gaza Strip. The incident not only escalated tensions between Colombia and Israel but also sparked widespread protests and reignited fierce debates about international complicity in the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
According to AFP and Press TV, the crisis began when Israeli naval forces intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla roughly 150 nautical miles off Gaza’s coastline. The flotilla, carrying activists from dozens of countries, aimed to deliver desperately needed aid to Palestinians living under what many human rights groups have described as a near-total siege. Among those detained were Manuela Bedoya and Luna Barreto, two Colombian women described by President Gustavo Petro’s office as being “engaged in human solidarity activities with Palestine.” Israeli authorities confirmed that several vessels had been “safely stopped” and that passengers, including activists and journalists, were brought to an Israeli port.
The Colombian response was swift and uncompromising. President Gustavo Petro, who had already severed diplomatic relations with Israel in May 2024, ordered the expulsion of the entire remaining Israeli diplomatic delegation from Bogota. In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), Petro declared, “the entire diplomatic delegation of Israel” was being sent home, denouncing the incident as “a new international crime by [Israeli prime minister] Benjamin Netanyahu.”
Petro’s move went beyond mere diplomatic protest. According to Press TV, he also announced the immediate termination of the Free Trade Agreement with Israel, which had been in force since 2020. “The Free Trade Agreement with Israel is immediately denounced,” Petro stated, signaling a significant economic and political rift between the two nations. A source at the Israeli consulate in Bogota confirmed to AFP that only four Israeli diplomats had remained in Colombia after the initial diplomatic break, but now even those were ordered to depart.
The Colombian president’s rhetoric has been nothing short of incendiary. He has repeatedly labeled Prime Minister Netanyahu as “genocidal” and has not hesitated to call out U.S. President Donald Trump, accusing him of being an “accomplice” to genocide. In his remarks to reporters, Petro went so far as to say, “If US President Donald Trump keeps being complicit in a genocide, as he is up to today, he deserves nothing but jail, and his military should not obey him.” These comments, widely reported by Press TV, led to the U.S. revoking Petro’s visa—a move that Petro dismissed with characteristic bluntness: “I don’t care.”
Petro’s activism has extended beyond Colombia’s borders. Just last week, he attended a pro-Palestinian protest in New York, urging the U.S. military to “disobey” Trump. His office has also vowed to pursue legal action, both in Israeli courts and potentially through the International Criminal Court (ICC), against what he describes as crimes against humanity. “The US and Israel are not party to the ICC’s Rome Statute, but Colombia is,” Petro pointed out, adding, “Anyone of any nationality judged by those tribunals can be arrested by any country if they pass through.”
The president’s stance has not gone unnoticed on the world stage. Addressing the United Nations Security Council, Petro issued a bold call for “a strong army of nations that do not accept genocide.” He declared, “We must gather weapons and armies. We must liberate Palestine.” While such rhetoric has drawn both support and sharp criticism, it underscores Colombia’s new role as one of the most outspoken critics of Israeli policy in Latin America.
Meanwhile, the fallout from the flotilla’s interception was felt far beyond Colombia. According to Turkish news reports, protests erupted in several major Turkish cities, including Istanbul, Diyarbakır, Elazığ, and Mardin. In Istanbul, hundreds gathered at the Israeli and U.S. consulates, chanting slogans against Israel’s actions and denouncing what they described as “genocide in Gaza.” The demonstrations were marked by Quran recitations, prayers, and impassioned speeches, but remained peaceful. In other cities, civil society groups and local NGOs organized rallies, waving Palestinian flags and calling for accountability for what they termed a “barbaric assault” on civilian vessels in international waters.
In Diyarbakır and Elazığ, crowds gathered in public squares, while in Mardin, demonstrators assembled in front of the "House of Jerusalem" monument. Local platforms prayed for the safety of those sailing for Gaza and vowed that the activists would not be left alone. The widespread condemnation in Turkey reflects the deep public solidarity with Gaza and the centrality of the Palestinian cause in Turkish civic life.
The broader context of these events is grim. The war in Gaza, which began in October 2023, has resulted in more than 66,100 Palestinian deaths, most of them women and children, according to Press TV. Human rights organizations have repeatedly accused Israel of weaponizing starvation through its blockade, a charge that Israeli officials have denied. However, the interception of the aid flotilla and the detention of humanitarian activists have only intensified accusations that Israel is seeking to maximize civilian suffering.
For Colombia, the diplomatic rupture and trade freeze with Israel represent a seismic shift in foreign policy. The country had long maintained close ties with Israel, particularly in security and military cooperation. But under Petro’s leftist administration, that relationship has been fundamentally redefined. Petro’s government has also announced plans to manufacture its own rifles to replace Israeli weapons, further signaling a strategic pivot.
Reactions to Petro’s actions have been predictably polarized. Supporters, including many on the political left and in pro-Palestinian circles, have praised his willingness to take a principled stand against what they see as international indifference to Palestinian suffering. Critics, both within Colombia and abroad, have accused him of reckless grandstanding and jeopardizing Colombia’s diplomatic and economic interests for the sake of symbolism.
As for the detained activists, the Colombian foreign ministry has called for their immediate release and is reportedly preparing lawsuits to challenge their detention. International lawyers have been urged to support Colombia’s legal team in pursuing accountability for what Petro describes as violations of international law.
The expulsion of Israeli diplomats from Colombia, the suspension of trade agreements, and the international protests following the flotilla’s interception have all contributed to a rapidly evolving crisis with implications far beyond the Middle East. As the situation continues to develop, the world will be watching to see whether these actions will spur greater international intervention—or simply add another layer to the long and tragic history of the Gaza conflict.
