Live UpdateFrom the Liveblog of Wednesday, February 21, 2024

Presidents of Colombia, Bolivia back Brazil’s Lula after Holocaust comparison

By AFP and ToI Staff 21 February 2024, 4:38 am 19 Edit
Handout picture released by the press office of Colombia's then president-elect Gustavo Petro (R) shows him meeting with Bolivia's President Luis Arce (L) before his inauguration ceremony in Bogota, on August 7, 2022. (Gustavo Petro's Press Office/AFP)
Handout picture released by the press office of Colombia's then president-elect Gustavo Petro (R) shows him meeting with Bolivia's President Luis Arce (L) before his inauguration ceremony in Bogota, on August 7, 2022. (Gustavo Petro's Press Office/AFP)

After comparing Israel’s military campaign against Hamas in Gaza to Hitler’s treatment of Jews, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva receives backing from his counterparts in Colombia and Bolivia, two fellow South American countries to have criticized the Jewish state.

“In Gaza there is a genocide and thousands of children, women and elderly civilians are cowardly murdered. Lula has only spoken the truth and truth must be defended or barbarism will annihilate us,” Colombia’s Gustavo Petro says on X.

Bolivia’s Luis Arce, on the same forum, expresses solidarity with Lula who he says was merely “telling the truth about the genocide that is committed against the brave Palestinian people.”

He adds: “History will not forgive those who are indifferent to this barbarity.”

The United States has said it disagreed with Lula’s comments. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is to meet Lula on Wednesday while in Brazil for the G20.

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