Colombia breaks diplomatic ties with Israel but its military relies on key Israeli-built equipment

By ASTRID SUÁREZ
Associated Press

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Colombia has become the latest Latin American country to announce it will break diplomatic relations with Israel over its military campaign in Gaza. But the repercussions for the South American nation could be broader than for other countries due to longstanding bilateral agreements over security matters. Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro has described Israel’s actions in Gaza as “genocide” and announced his government would end diplomatic relations with Israel effective Thursday. But he did not address how his decision could affect Colombia’s military, which uses Israeli-built warplanes and machine guns to fight drug cartels and rebel groups, and a free trade agreement between both countries that went into effect in 2020.