Colombia's president orders resumption of coal exports to Israel: "The embargo harmed us"

Colombian President Abelardo Gabriel de la Espriella Otero reversed his predecessor Gustavo Petro's decision and ordered the resumption of coal exports to Israel. Petro halted shipments in 2024 amid the Gaza war and his policy toward Israel. De la Espriella stated that the embargo was an ideological decision that harmed Colombia's economy, employment, and state revenues. According to him, resuming exports aims to end "the vetoes and ideological restrictions of the past" that undermined legal certainty and international trust in the country.