Adds response from Glencore and request for comment to Israeli foreign ministry

BOGOTA, July 23 (Reuters) - Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Tuesday threatened to unilaterally alter Glencore's GLEN.L concession contract if the mining giant continues to export coal to Israel, though the company said it has already ceased the shipments in compliance with a presidential decree.

"I am willing to unilaterally change the concession contract," Petro said during an energy event for the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC).

The president also warned that if Glencore refuses to comply with the decree to suspend the shipments, he would ask the local community near the mine to stage blockades.

In response, the company said it was already in compliance with the order.

"Cerrejon has acted in accordance with the decree issued by President Petro. In fact, our last shipment of coal was some two weeks before the decree came into effect," the company told Reuters.

Petro suspended exports of the fuel source to Israel over its assault on the Gaza Strip.

Israel's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Glencore's Cerrejon operation, located in Colombia's northeastern La Guajira province, is one of the world's largest open-pit coal export mines. It includes a 150-kilometer (93-mile) railway line and a port on the Caribbean Sea.

Cerrejon's production reached 19 million metric tons in 2024. In March, the company announced it would cut its annual thermal coal production by between 5 million and 10 million tons due to low mineral prices.

(Reporting by Nelson Bocanegra and Julia Symmes Cobb; Editing by Kylie Madry)

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