Original article: Colombia enviará médicos voluntarios a Gaza y anuncia apoyo directo a la reconstrucción
Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced that the South American nation will actively participate in the reconstruction efforts in Gaza and send a team of volunteer doctors to provide humanitarian aid to the victims of the assaults carried out by Israel.
In an interview with Al Jazeera from the Colombian embassy in Cairo, Petro stated that his government will coordinate with the Egyptian Red Crescent for the deployment of these volunteer medics, especially from Colombia’s Military Hospital, who have experience in conflict zones.
“We visited the Red Crescent here in Egypt to explore how to enhance the effectiveness of Colombian aid. We will even bring volunteer doctors from Colombia’s Military Hospital, which has experience due to our long 70-year conflict in Colombia,” the president remarked.
He detailed that Colombia will bring its expertise in mechatronics and prosthetic production to aid the children affected by the conflict in Gaza who have lost limbs.
“Thus, the prosthetics designed to adapt to these lost limbs can help improve their quality of life,” he stated, also noting that a female manager will be appointed to oversee this mission.
“We will have a new manager, a woman, at the Military Hospital who will be responsible for this task, and I hope many doctors with experience in Colombia will want to temporarily come to Cairo, to wherever we can reach, or bring the children to Colombia,” he informed.
During the interview, Petro pointed out that the true solution to the conflict goes beyond trying to achieve a deal regarding hostages and emphasized the need for a peace process.
“The fragility and vulnerability of the hostage exchange process cannot be called a peace process; peace must begin as a process moving forward, and we will try,” he asserted.
Petro Calls for Rebuilding Social Fabric in Gaza
The Colombian leader recalled that 59 countries have contributed some form of aid, but noted that “there are 194 countries in the world,” urging the international community to join the humanitarian efforts.
He also expressed that while the reconstruction should be funded with Israeli resources as a form of compensation, the solidarity commitment from other nations is essential.
“Hopefully, the societies responsible for governments that have contributed to the genocide could pool enough money for the reconstruction of Gaza,” he emphasized.
He stressed that this initiative is not only about reconstructing walls and infrastructure but also about “rebuilding the social fabric,” which he considered fundamental for achieving lasting peace in the region.
In his conversation with Al Jazeera, the president also proposed convening a global peace conference on Palestine and the Middle East, suggesting that this process “must become a goal for all humanity,” as reported by Radio Nacional of Colombia.
To conclude, the Colombian president indicated that his country wishes to share its experiences of resilience and reconciliation without imposing models, inviting Palestinian victims to share their stories with the world.
“Your narrative will impact peoples and align them with happiness, truth, and justice,” he stated.