The governments of the Global South do not accept that the law be held hostage by geopolitics, Diplomat Villavicencio said.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, Bogota will host an international summit against the genocide in Gaza, convened by the Hague Group, which is composed of Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Honduras, Malaysia, Namibia, Senegal, and South Africa.

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“What is happening in the Gaza Strip is not an accidental tragedy, but an Israeli occupation regime,” said Colombia’s acting Foreign Minister Rosa Villavicencio as she opened the ministerial conference of the Hague Group, which she co-chairs with South Africa.

“This conference shows that the governments of the Global South do not accept that the law be held hostage by geopolitics,” she added.

Formed in January, the Hague Group emerged in response to the severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza and is committed to enforcing the arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for crimes against humanity.

Villavicencio said the two-day summit will not be just for discussion, but also “to act with legal, ethical, and political clarity in the face of one of the most serious moral challenges of our time: the suffering of the Palestinian people.”

“Colombia has spoken out unequivocally: what is happening in Gaza is a genocide. In 2018, we recognized the State of Palestine, and in 2024 we severed diplomatic ties with Israel due to the disproportionate use of force against civilians. International humanitarian law must be both a principle and an action—not empty rhetoric,” she said.

“We must go beyond declarations, support the ICC investigations, demand compliance with the International Court of Justice (ICJ), propose specific sanctions, and mobilize all existing instruments of international law,” Villavicencio emphasized.

“We are not alone. This network of states seeks to defend international legality, even when it is inconvenient. This is not a religious conflict—it is a dilemma between justice and impunity.”

“Today, from Bogota, we reaffirm: Palestine is not alone. Let this summit mark the beginning of joint, firm, and transformative action,” the Colombian diplomat added.

Representatives from more than 30 countries are also attending the Bogota summit, including Brazil, Chile, China, Egypt, Spain, Honduras, Ireland, Mexico, Nicaragua, Uruguay, and Venezuela.

The summit agenda has three main areas of focus. The first began on Monday with a preparatory meeting that included civil society organizations and solidarity movements in support of the Palestinian cause.

Tuesday’s ministerial meeting will focus on practical measures that can be taken in the short and medium term in response to Israel’s offensive in Gaza.

On Wednesday, the summit will conclude with a day of debate featuring Colombian President Gustavo Petro and United Nations Special Rapporteur on Palestine Francesca Albanese, who arrived in the country on Sunday. A solidarity march for Palestine will also take place in Bogota as part of the summit’s closing events.

teleSUR/ JF

Source: EFE

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