Snowball effect ? Bolivia, governed by left-wing President Luis Arce, becomes the first Latin American country to sever diplomatic ties with the Jewish state since the outbreak of war with Hamas. Deputy Foreign Minister Freddy Mamani explained at a press conference that it was a matter of “condemning the aggressive and disproportionate Israeli military offensive carried out in the Gaza Strip”. “We demand an end to the attacks […] which have so far caused thousands of civilian deaths and the forced displacement of Palestinians”, also announced the secretary general of the presidency, Maria Nela Prada, while referring to the sending of humanitarian aid intended for the Gaza Strip.
“Bolivia’s decision to sever diplomatic ties with Israel is a capitulation to terrorism and the regime of the ayatollahs in Iran,” responded the spokesperson for the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a press release. “The Bolivian government aligns itself with the terrorist organization Hamas,” he added. In a statement Tuesday, Hamas welcomed Bolivia’s announcement, expressing “great esteem” for the decision taken, and urged Arab countries that have normalized relations with Israel to do the same.
Second break in relations with Bolivia
Before cutting ties, Luis Arce spoke on Monday with Palestinian representative Mahmoud Elalwani. This is not the first time that Bolivia has severed diplomatic relations with Israel. In 2009, former left-wing president Evo Morales did the same protesting against Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip, while La Paz has recognized a Palestinian state since the 1980s.
Diplomatic ties were reestablished in November 2019 by a right-wing interim government before Luis Arce, then Morales’ heir apparent, won the presidential election in 2020. Evo Morales considered the Arce government’s decision late, believing that it had been taken “under popular pressure” and after “the Israeli regime has murdered more than 8,500 people.”
Chile, Colombia, Jordan
Other Latin American countries quickly positioned themselves. Chile and Colombia, as well as Jordan this Wednesday, indicated the recall of their respective ambassadors in Tel Aviv. The Santiago government denounces in a press release “the unacceptable violations of international humanitarian law committed by Israel in the Gaza Strip.” And continued: “Chile reiterates its call for an immediate end to hostilities, which will allow the deployment of a humanitarian support operation to help the hundreds of thousands of internally displaced people and civilian victims “.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro protests against “the massacre of the Palestinian people” and the “violent actions that the Israeli state has provoked, including the bombing of a refugee camp.” specifies the national daily El Tiempo.
In Iran, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, traveling to Ankara (Turkey), even called this Wednesday noon to “break” all ties with Israel and to “boycott” its products.
Israel, for its part, announced last Saturday the repatriation of its diplomats to Turkey after a diatribe by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who accused the West of being “the main culprit of the massacres in Gaza” and Israel of committing ” war crimes.” On October 19, the Jewish state had already asked its diplomats stationed in Turkey to temporarily leave the country as a “security measure”.