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Press Release

Rep. Cuellar Releases Statement on Recent Comments by Colombian President Gustavo Petro

Washington | Arturo C. Olivarez, DC Press Secretary (956-970-1441), October 16, 2023

Today, U.S. Congressman Henry Cuellar, Ph.D. (TX-28), Co-Chair of the Congressional Colombia Caucus, released the following statement regarding recent comments by Colombian President Gustavo Petro:

“I condemn President Petro’s recent remarks about Israel in the strongest possible terms. The President’s refusal to condemn Hamas after Saturday’s barbaric attack is shameful enough, but his subsequent comments – in which he compared Israelis to Nazis – are unconscionable. As Israel exercises its indisputable right to self-defense under international law, President Petro accused the Jewish State of committing ‘genocide’ and turning Gaza into a ‘concentration camp.’ These offensive and baseless comments fan the flames of antisemitism and have no place in public discourse,” said Dr. Cuellar, a Senior Member of the House Appropriations Committee.

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