Latin American leaders criticize Israel's 'genocide' in Gaza during regional summit

By Laura Gamba

BOGOTA, Colombia (AA) - Various Latin American leaders on Friday criticized Israel for the attacks in Gaza from the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac) summit.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro accused the US, the European Union and the United Kingdom of “supporting” Israel to launch bombs against the people in Palestine.

"Germany supports the genocide, and France, and the European Union, and the United Kingdom, and especially the United States of America in its democratic version support dropping bombs on the people," Petro said speaking at the VIII summit of the Celac, which is held in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

The president of Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, proposed a Celac motion to demand the “immediate end” of the “genocide” in Gaza.

"The humanitarian tragedy in Gaza requires of us the ability to put an end to the collective punishment that Israel imposes on the Palestinian people," Lula said before the plenary session of the summit of this regional integration body that was attended by UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres.

The Brazilian head of state has been one of the most critical voices of Israel, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government launched an offensive against Hamas almost five months ago in retaliation for the group's attack on Oct. 7.

“There are already more than 30,000 dead. The lives of thousands of innocent women and children are at stake,” Lula said.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro spoke about the ineffectiveness of international justice to stop the "massacre" happening in Gaza.

"We are going to debate about the genocide in Gaza and how international justice does not work to stop the genocide, the massacre, the daily, brutal massacre," Maduro told a group of reporters on Friday morning.

The leaders of Bolivia, Luis Arce, and Honduras, Xiomara Castro, also joined the call to seek peace in the Middle East.

"When we see in the world what is being carried out, especially what is happening in Gaza, it should draw our attention powerfully and ask first of all for an immediate ceasefire (...) It is unfortunate to see how children and girls and women lose their lives in a war that makes no sense," Castro said.

The final declaration of the summit is expected to include a firm condemnation of the war in Gaza, a request for an immediate ceasefire and humanitarian aid assistance and a peaceful resolution of the conflict with a two-state solution.​​​​​​​