Colombian President Gustavo Petro delivers a speech after voting during the country's regional elections, in Bogota on October 29, 2023. Colombians go to the polls to elect new mayors, municipal councillors, governors and lawmakers in regional assemblies for the 2024-27 period. (Photo by JUAN BARRETO / AFP) (Photo by JUAN BARRETO/AFP via Getty Images)
The situation in the Middle East continues to deteriorate, and the international community has had to take a stand one way or another when it comes to Israel-Palestine and the current conflict. But what have Latin American countries said about Israel and Palestine?
On October 27th a UN resolution called for an immediate humanitarian truce between Israel and Hamas and demanded aid access to Gaza be passed; with 120 voting in favor, 14 countries voting against (including Israel and the United States), and 45 countries abstaining from the vote. And to help keep up to date, we’ve put together a list of all the Latin American countries that have spoken up about Israel and Palestine.
Argentina’s President Alberto Fernández “strongly condemns and repudiates the brutal terrorist attack perpetrated by Hamas from the Gaza Strip against the State of Israel.” Though numbers have been hard to confirm, it is known Argentina has a large number of citizens victims of the Hamas attack, as well as hostages.
Bolivia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had originally released a statement expressing its “deep concern about the violent events that occurred in the Gaza Strip between Israel and Palestine” on October 7th.
On October 31st, however, the Minister of the Presidency, María Nela Prada, in her capacity as interim Chancellor, together with the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Freddy Mamani Machaca, announced the decision of the Plurinational State of Bolivia to break diplomatic relations with the State of Israel.
Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva expressed his “repudiation of terrorism in any of its forms,” adding that Brazil would make all efforts to avoid the escalation of the conflict. He called “on the international community to work to immediately resume negotiations that lead to a solution to the conflict.”
Chilean President Gabriel Boric Font’s original statement said that Chile’s “solidarity is and will always be with the victims of violence, without distinction,” stating that he “condemned without any qualifications the brutal attacks, murders and kidnappings by Hamas” and “ the indiscriminate attacks against civilians carried out by the Israeli army in Gaza.” Chile is believed to have the largest Palestinian community outside of the Middle East.
On October 31st, Boric Font announced he was recalling the Chilean ambassador to Israel in response to the “unacceptable violations of International Humanitarian Law that Israel has incurred in the Gaza Strip.”
Update: On November 9th, Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced his government would “cosponsor the complaint by the Republic of Algeria filed before the International Criminal Court for war crimes against Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu in light of the massacre of children and civilians of the Palestinian people.”
As soon as the Hamas attack happened, Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro criticized both Israel and the United States, saying “what the barbaric military power of the north has unleashed on the Palestinian people is the prelude to what it will unleash on all the peoples of the south.” Petro has previously taken to social media to denounce what he called “neo-Nazi” efforts to destroy the Palestinian people.
On October 31st, Petro announced he was recalling the Colombian ambassador to Israel saying, “If Israel does not stop the massacre of the Palestinian people we cannot be there.”
Costa Rica’s President Rodrigo Chaves shared a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that reads “Costa Rica condemns in the most energetic way the atrocious and deplorable terrorist attacks by Hamas on Israel.”
https://twitter.com/RodrigoChavesR/status/1710686728778895499
Cuba’s Ministry of Foreign Relations released a statement that expressed “serious concern about the escalation of violence between Israel and Palestine, which is a consequence of 75 years of permanent violation of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.”
Luis Abinader, the President of the Dominican Republic, said, “I express my strong condemnation of Hamas’ terrorist attacks against the people of Israel. This escalation of violence prevents the peace solutions that we all desire. We hope that diplomacy is preferred to war.”
Ecuador put out a statement that read: “The Government of Ecuador condemns the terrorist attacks perpetrated today by Hamas against Israel. As it has expressed repeatedly, it reiterates its commitment to a negotiated, definitive, and fair solution for the parties.”
https://twitter.com/Presidencia_Ec/status/1710785822847361049
President Nayib Bukele, of Palestinian ancestry, said, “As a Salvadoran with Palestinian ancestry, I’m sure the best thing that could happen to the Palestinian people is for Hamas to completely disappear,” adding that “It would be like if Salvadorans would have sided with MS13 terrorists, just because we share ancestors or nationality.”
Alejandro Giammattei, Guatemala’s President said, “On behalf of the people and Government of Guatemala, I express our most sincere condolences and support to Israel in this difficult time in the face of attacks perpetrated without justification. We express our deep solidarity with the families of the victims.”
Update: On November 3rd, Honduras became the third Latin American country to recall its ambassador from Israel due to the “serious humanitarian situation suffered by the Palestinian civilian population in the Gaza Strip.”
https://twitter.com/EnriqueReinaHN/status/1720531624289575107
The Honduras Foreign Ministry released a statement that reads: “The government of Honduras rejects any act that puts the security of the civilian population at risk, whether Israeli or Palestinian. Indiscriminate attacks and provocations only fuel the spiral of violence.” Honduras has the second-largest Palestinian community in Latin America after Chile.
https://twitter.com/CancilleriaHN/status/1710737105100378550?t=ZfWJgPIuFq31W1Zl5HT3Gg&s=19
Mexico’s Foreign Affairs Ministry released a statement where it “unequivocally condemns the inappropriate attacks that occurred against the people of Israel on October 7 by Hamas and other Palestinian organizations in Gaza,” but also calls for a “comprehensive and definitive solution to the conflict, under the premise of two States.”
President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has also said that Mexico wouldn’t be taking sides. He was noted as saying, “More than condemnation, what is required is a search for peaceful solutions, that there is dialogue and that further confrontation and violence is avoided.”
Nicaragua’s government, presided over by Daniel Ortega, said “with all responsibility and knowledge of the facts, strongly condemn the worsening of the terrible Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which generates more and more victims and pain among so many innocent families, and which aggravates the already sufficiently violent situation in the Region and the world.” Nicaragua has long been the staunchest supporter of Palestine in Central America. Read more on their statement here.
Panama’s President Laurentino Cortizo firmly condemned “the recent attacks against the people of Israel.” He also added that he “rejected all forms of violence” and that “We express our solidarity with the Israeli people in these difficult times.”
President Santiago Peña expressed all his support to “the sister nation of Israel in the face of the cowardly terrorist attacks it has suffered,” adding that, “We condemn, repudiate and reject these inhuman actions that threaten the peace of the world.”
https://twitter.com/SantiPenap/status/1710656369848688731?s=08
Peru’s Foreign Ministry released a statement that read “The Government of Peru strongly condemns the terrorist attacks perpetrated by the Hamas group against the State of Israel in recent hours, and stands in solidarity with the Israeli people, the victims and their families.” They also reaffirmed its commitment to the peace process between Israel and Palestine in accordance with International Law. Read more on their statement here.
Uruguay’s President Luis Lacalle Pou expressed his solidarity with Israel, saying, “We strongly condemn the attack by Hamas and call for an immediate end to violence against the Israeli people.”
https://twitter.com/LuisLacallePou/status/1710647825699053962
Venezuela’s Foreign Affairs Ministry released a statement that expressed concern “about the evolution of recent events in the Gaza Strip, while considering that the escalation is the result of the impossibility of the Palestinian people to find a space in multilateral international legality. to assert their historical rights.” Venezuela was the first country in Latin America to officially recognize Palestine, in 2009.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro also said, “We raise our voice for Palestine, together with the world we unite to demand a ceasefire and an end to the genocide which has targeted the Palestinian people, without distinction.”
https://twitter.com/NicolasMaduro/status/1719691797637497103
