South America Responds: Bolivia Severs Ties With Israel Over War With Hamas

 

In reaction to Israel’s most recent war with Hamas, Bolivia’s left-wing government cut all ties with the country. Minister María Nela Prada of President Luis Arce’s government made the announcement Tuesday afternoon.

At a press conference in La Paz, the de facto capital, the minister stated, “We demand an end to the attacks on the Gaza Strip.” Bolivia severed its diplomatic connections with Israel in 2009 in response to the latter’s invasion of the impoverished Gaza Strip; however, ties were later restored in 2020.

The governments of Chile and Colombia called back their Israeli ambassadors a few hours later. Following tidings that Israeli bombings had claimed the lives of several dozen people at a Gaza refugee camp.

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil tweeted: “Stop! Stop, for God’s sake!”

“Just because Hamas committed a terrorist act against Israel, doesn’t mean Israel has to kill millions of innocent people,” the Brazilian president said. 

On Tuesday, Colombian President Gustavo Petro said he had recalled his ambassadors over Israel’s “massacre” of Palestinians. He likened Israel’s actions to those of Hitler’s Nazis, drawing criticism from the Foreign Ministry of Israel over his “hostile and antisemitic statements”.