Bolivia Severs Diplomatic Relations With Israeli Entity
Orinoco Tribune, October 31, 2023 —
Bolivia, during the presidency of Evo Morales, broke diplomatic ties with “Israel” and denounced the atrocities committed by Zionism in the occupied territories.
The government of Bolivia announced this Tuesday its decision to sever relations with “Israel,” in consideration of the war crimes being committed in the Gaza Strip against the Palestinian people.
“Bolivia decided to break diplomatic relations with the State of Israel,” said Foreign Affairs Vice Minister Freddy Mamani. “Taking into account this background, we are going to communicate officially through the diplomatic channels established between both countries consistent with the principles and purposes of the United Nations charter.”
At a press conference, on Tuesday, October 31, the minister of the presidency, María Nela Prada, said: “Within the framework of its principled position of respect for life, we are sending this official statement to the State of Israel, where we announce our decision as the Plurinational State of Bolivia.”
The decision was reached after a meeting between President Luis Arce and the Palestinian ambassador and in a context where former president Evo Morales had criticized the government’s position and demanded the breaking of relations with “Tel Aviv.”
The authorities explained that Bolivia made this decision “in repudiation and condemnation of the aggressive and disproportionate Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip and the threat to international peace and security.”
At the same time, Bolivia demanded the cessation of the attacks on the Gaza Strip, which have caused thousands of civilian deaths and the forced displacement of Palestinians, as well as the end of the blockade that prevents the entry of food, water, and other essentials.
In addition, the Bolivian government announced its decision to send humanitarian aid to those in Gaza suffering under a serious health and humanitarian crisis.
Previously, Evo Morales emphasized that his government, after winning the elections in December 2005, broke relations with “Israel” as a result of pacifist and anti-imperialist principles. In the violent 2005 Zionist campaign, the Venezuelan government also severed diplomatic relations with the apartheid regime. This state of affairs has persisted since.
After the coup d’état in November 2019, Bolivia’s president at that time, Jeanine Áñez, obeying orders from the United States, re-established ties with the Zionist entity of “Tel Aviv.”
Bolivia constitutes the first nation to break ties with the far-right government of Benjamin Netanyahu in light of the current persistent bombing on the Gaza Strip.