Ben Gvir Proposes Exporting Israel’s Prison Model to Colombia Amid Controversial Human Rights Record

Original article: Propuso “matar 30 o 40 palestinos al día” y ahora quiere exportar cárceles: Ben Gvir invita a De la Espriella a replicar modelo israelí en Colombia

Israel’s far-right National Security Minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, congratulated Colombian President Abelardo De la Espriella on his recent inauguration and extended an invitation for him to visit Israel. The purpose of this visit would be to gain first-hand insight into Israel’s prison system, which Ben Gvir aims to replicate in Latin America, despite facing severe criticism from international organizations over numerous allegations of systematic human rights abuses.

In a message shared on the social media platform X, Ben Gvir referred to the Colombian leader as a «friend of Israel», establishing a political connection that goes beyond mere diplomacy, impacting the exchange of controversial security policies.

Ben Gvir has been embroiled in global controversy following his alarming remarks on a podcast aired on August 16, in which he suggested the daily execution of between 30 and 40 individuals in the Gaza Strip.

«I believe that targeted killings should be carried out in Gaza, eliminating 30 to 40 people every night. Not just those who pose an immediate threat; there are people there who do not deserve to live. They should not live. They are not even human,» stated the official of the Zionist regime.

These statements, presented in international courts as evidence of a «genocidal intent», reflect the hardline approach that characterizes his leadership within the Israeli police and prisons, where numerous cases of torture against Palestinian detainees have been reported.

One of Ben Gvir’s legislative achievements that he boasts about is the recent passage of a law supported by his party, Otzma Yehudit, which introduces the death penalty by hanging for Palestinians convicted of fatal attacks deemed acts of terrorism.

In a video released on August 18, the Israeli minister proudly stated: «I promised to worsen the conditions for terrorists in prisons, and we have done it. I promised to pass the death penalty law for terrorists, and we have approved it,» adding that the execution wing and gallows are beginning to take shape.

«I invite you to visit the prisons in Israel»

This policy, which toughens imprisonment conditions, is the model Ben Gvir proposes to export, reminding De la Espriella of his campaign promise to build a «megaprison» in Colombia.

«I invite you to visit the prisons in Israel to see up close the transformation I have led and learn how to remove, once and for all, the desire to commit terrorism,» emphasized the Israeli Security Minister.

Israeli prisons, directly overseen by Ben Gvir, have been under increasing scrutiny due to human rights violations reported to the UN Human Rights Council.

Special rapporteur Francesca Albanese presented a report titled ‘torture and genocide’ documenting that since October 2023, the Israeli state has subjected Palestinians to a «systematic regime of torture». The statistics are alarming: over 18,500 Palestinians have been arrested, including more than 1,500 children, and at least 9,245 remain detained in facilities where practices such as beatings, sexual assault, starvation, and forced nudity have been documented.

«They released the police dogs again… One of the dogs attacked a colleague and started biting his genitals. He bled to death in my arms,» Albanese read, quoting one of the collected testimonies.

Ben Gvir’s policies have reached beyond Israel’s borders and generated adverse international reactions. Countries like the UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Norway imposed sanctions against the minister in 2025 for his «incitement to violence» in the West Bank.

His controversial administration includes alarming plans, such as surrounding prisons with crocodiles, inspired by a migrant facility in Florida, USA, nicknamed «Alligator Alcatraz.» Although this measure was recently suspended by a judge, the intention to apply extreme deterrent methods remains.

Strengthening Ties Between De la Espriella and Israel

The invitation extended to De la Espriella to «see closely the transformation» he has led aims, according to his own words, for Colombia to learn how to «remove, once and for all, the desire to commit terrorism», thereby replicating a model that the international community deems as a policy of persecution and institutionalized torture.

This invitation from the Israeli National Security Minister comes amid diplomatic closeness between Israel and the far-right administration of Abelardo De la Espriella, who even before being sworn in as president of Colombia confirmed the dispatch of a governmental delegation to Tel Aviv for next October, aimed at «consolidating» the strategic alliance between both governments and strengthening relations, which were suspended during the administration of former president Gustavo Petro.