Colombia recognizes sovereign Palestinian state: reports

The Colombian government has decided to formally recognize a sovereign Palestinian state, according to new reports.

The Palestinian diplomatic mission in Colombia said in a statement that the South American country will recognize it as a “free, independent and sovereign state,” according to Spanish news agency EFE.

The decision makes Colombia the last South American country to do so, the news outlet reported.

“This decision is deeply appreciated by the Palestinian people and their government, who have always seen Colombia and its people as indefatigable brothers in the search for peace,” the Palestinian mission in Bogota said in its statement to EFE.

The decision was agreed upon both by outgoing Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and newly-inaugurated President Ivan Duque, according to the Palestinian News & Info Agency.

Colombia is the 138th nation to recognize a sovereign Palestinian state, according to the Palestinian mission to the United Nations.

Israel has long opposed these measures, claiming they’re counterproductive to peace and that only bilateral measures can advance negotiations.