Latest news with #GustavoPetro
Al Bawaba
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Bawaba
Colombian Blockade on Israel: President orders interception of coal Ships headed to Israel
ALBAWABA - As part of his strong opposition to Israel's war in Gaza, President Gustavo Petro of Colombia has ordered that all coal exports to the country be stopped right away. He said that Colombia would not back what he called "genocide." Also Read Israel launches a new wave of airstrikes on southern Lebanon "As the head of the armed forces, I will not let a single ton of coal be sent to Israel," Petro said at a ceremony in Cartagena where he introduced new naval units of NavadaColombia, such as the Benkos Biohó ship, which will help improve public health along Colombia's coasts. His words make it clear that the ban on sending coal to Israel, which was announced in response to its military actions in Gaza, will be strictly enforced. Petro stressed Colombia's moral duty and said the country would not be involved in the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian region. The news came out at the same time that Colombia was celebrating Navy Day and the 202nd anniversary of the naval Battle of Lake Maracaibo. Earlier this week, Petro said it would change Glencore's mining license on its own if the business kept sending goods to Israel. Since then, Glencore has said that it has already stopped sending any coal to Israel as Petro had asked. A Glencore representative told Reuters, "The Cerrejón mine is following the president's order." "Our last shipment was almost two weeks ago, before the policy went into effect." Colombian President Gustavo Petro:– "As Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, I have ordered: Not a single ton of coal will be sent to Israel, and I take full responsibility." – "Colombia will not be an accomplice to genocide."
Telegraph
a day ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Colombia's president mocked for using aide as a laptop stand
Colombia 's president was caught on Tuesday using an aide as a laptop stand as he opened the country 's congress. The staffer was seen lying on the floor beside Gustavo Petro, with his arm in the air, holding up the laptop for the president to refer to during his speech. Filmed on a smartphone and shared on social media, the moment prompted mockery of the president online for using a 'human tripod'. In one reaction video, Right-wing podcasters fell about with laughter as they noted the irony of the Left-wing president referencing anti-slavery policies in his speech. The full official footage was posted online by the president's own office. Many in the audience appeared to have been preoccupied with their phones during the nearly two-and-a-half-hour speech. At least two audience members could be seen sitting on the floor in the middle of the auditorium. Nor did anyone in the room seem surprised when the aide proceeded to take a prone position an hour and a half into the speech, and Mr Petro appears to make no secret of the task he has handed to his staffer. The aide appeared by Mr Petro's side during a portion of the address in which he referred to a series of slides displaying various graphs regarding proposed healthcare reforms. He was seen gesturing at the laptop and leaning in to take a closer look at the data on the screen. The aide's face appeared occasionally over the top of the desk.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Colombia's Petro threatens to alter Glencore contract over Israel coal exports
BOGOTA (Reuters) -Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Tuesday threatened to unilaterally alter Glencore's concession contract if the mining giant continues to export coal to Israel, though the company said it has already ceased the shipments in compliance with a presidential decree. "I am willing to unilaterally change the concession contract," Petro said during an energy event for the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC). The president also warned that if Glencore refuses to comply with the decree to suspend the shipments, he would ask the local community near the mine to stage blockades. In response, the company said it was already in compliance with the order. "Cerrejon has acted in accordance with the decree issued by President Petro. In fact, our last shipment of coal was some two weeks before the decree came into effect," the company told Reuters. Petro suspended exports of the fuel source to Israel over its assault on the Gaza Strip. Israel's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Glencore's Cerrejon operation, located in Colombia's northeastern La Guajira province, is one of the world's largest open-pit coal export mines. It includes a 150-kilometer (93-mile) railway line and a port on the Caribbean Sea. Cerrejon's production reached 19 million metric tons in 2024. In March, the company announced it would cut its annual thermal coal production by between 5 million and 10 million tons due to low mineral prices. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Reuters
2 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Colombia's Petro threatens to alter Glencore contract over Israel coal exports
BOGOTA, July 23 (Reuters) - Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Tuesday threatened to unilaterally alter Glencore's (GLEN.L), opens new tab concession contract if the mining giant continues to export coal to Israel, though the company said it has already ceased the shipments in compliance with a presidential decree. "I am willing to unilaterally change the concession contract," Petro said during an energy event for the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC). The president also warned that if Glencore refuses to comply with the decree to suspend the shipments, he would ask the local community near the mine to stage blockades. In response, the company said it was already in compliance with the order. "Cerrejon has acted in accordance with the decree issued by President Petro. In fact, our last shipment of coal was some two weeks before the decree came into effect," the company told Reuters. Petro suspended exports of the fuel source to Israel over its assault on the Gaza Strip. Israel's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Glencore's Cerrejon operation, located in Colombia's northeastern La Guajira province, is one of the world's largest open-pit coal export mines. It includes a 150-kilometer (93-mile) railway line and a port on the Caribbean Sea. Cerrejon's production reached 19 million metric tons in 2024. In March, the company announced it would cut its annual thermal coal production by between 5 million and 10 million tons due to low mineral prices.
UPI
3 days ago
- Politics
- UPI
Leaders call for unity to counter global far right
Uruguayan President Yamandu Orsi (2-L), Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (L), Chilean President Gabriel Boric (C), Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez (2-R) and Colombian President Gustavo Petro (R), converse during the summit in defense of democracy at La Moneda Palace in Santiago, Chile, on Monday. Photo by Elvis Gonzalez/EPA July 22 (UPI) -- For 24 hours, Chile became the center of a progressive call for unity to counter the rise of the global far right. Under the slogan "Democracy Always," Presidents Gabriel Boric of Chile, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil, Gustavo Petro of Colombia and Yamandú Orsi of Uruguay, and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez met Monday in the Chilean capital, Santiago, to lay out a common roadmap in the face of what they described as subtle, but corrosive, threats to democracy. During the meeting, participants warned that democracy is being threatened in many parts of the world -- not only by military force, but also by more insidious tools such as disinformation, rising hatred, corruption and the concentration of power. The leaders called for the formation of a united global progressive front. Sánchez denounced what he described as an "international reactionary movement of hate and lies," while Lula warned of "a new antidemocratic offensive." Petro addedd, "Progressive forces around the world must come together and turn on the light when darkness falls." While the "Democracy Always" declaration focused on the need to strengthen multilateralism and address both internal and external threats to democracies, some analysts say the alliance's shared position on the United States can be inferred from the principles it promotes. "The summit strongly emphasized the need to bolster multilateralism as a counterweight to unilateralism. If the United States promotes a form of multilateralism based on respect for international institutions and international law, this progressive front would seek its cooperation," said Manuel Briones, professor of international relations at Chile's Center for Strategic and Competitive Intelligence Studies. The summit occurred at a sensitive geopolitical moment, just weeks before new tariffs to be imposed by the Trump administration are to take effect, impacting Chile, Brazil, European Union nations and many others worldwide. "In Latin America, the summit reinforces the emergence of a regional leadership bloc with progressive leanings," Briones said. "If the administration in the White House chooses a foreign policy more focused on "America First" and less on actively promoting certain democratic agendas through ideological alliances, this new front could pose a subtle challenge -- or at the very least, become an actor Washington will have to engage with from a different perspective." Added Claudio Sánchez, a lawyer and scholar at Chile's Center for Labor Studies: "It's expected that there will be differences in approaches to economic, social and foreign policy, but the progressive governments at the summit generally advocate for a larger role for the state in the economy, more expansive social policies and a more critical stance toward corporate power -- positions that may contrast with certain political sectors in the United States. "However, this doesn't necessarily imply confrontation, but rather a search for dialogue and cooperation in areas of shared interest, while maintaining ideological differences where they exist." Leaders at the summit announced that countries including Mexico, the United Kingdom and Canada plan to join the emerging alliance.
