Colombia appoints its first ambassador to Palestine
Colombia has appointed Jorge Iván Ospina as its first ambassador to Palestinian territories, a former mayor of Cali and close associate of President Gustavo Petro, as announced by the Colombian Foreign Ministry.
The leftist president had declared the cessation of diplomatic relations with Israel in May 2024, accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government of committing genocide in Gaza.
A year ago, Petro announced the opening of his country’s embassy in Palestine, specifically in Ramallah, located in the occupied West Bank.
Ospina’s appointment as ambassador comes after Palestinian authorities approved it on May 5, as stated in a decree signed by Foreign Minister Laura Sarabia.
Ospina, a former mayor of Cali, Colombia’s third-largest city, has been associated with leftist movements and is the son of Iván Marino Ospina, a former leader of the armed organization “M-19,” of which President Petro was also a member.
In a statement to Agence France-Presse, the new ambassador said he is unsure whether he will work from Ramallah or from “a neighboring country.”
Ospina explained to AFP: “It will be necessary to discuss with Israel and work with them to determine the necessary steps to allow the Colombian embassy to develop from Ramallah,” adding, “We recognize the Palestinian state, and we acknowledge that the Palestinian state and the Israeli state must coexist and be present together.”
