From condoling Pakistan to backing India: How Colombia’s U-turn proves Indian diplomacy is working
On 30th May (local time), Colombia, which had earlier expressed condolences over Pakistani casualties during India’s Operation Sindoor, withdrew its controversial statement. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who is leading one of the all-party delegations to foreign nations, met senior Colombian officials and clarified India’s position on terrorism and self-defence. Following the meeting, Colombia not only withdrew the statement but is also set to issue a strong message of support for India.
Colombia’s earlier statement triggered disappointment
The Indian delegations are currently on a multi-nation diplomatic visit to several countries. The one led by Tharoor has reached Colombia in the Americas after stops in Panama and Guyana. Speaking from Bogota on Thursday, he had expressed “disappointment” over Colombia’s initial reaction, as it appeared to sympathise with Pakistan rather than acknowledge the Pahalgam terrorist attack that claimed the lives of 26 innocent Hindus in India.
Speaking to media in Bogota, Tharoor said, “We were a little disappointed in the reaction of the Colombian government, which apparently expressed heartfelt condolences on the loss of lives in Pakistan after the Indian strikes, rather than sympathising with the victims of terrorism.”
Firm rebuttal and facts shared by India made the difference
The Indian delegation, which included MPs from both Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress, laid out the sequence of events leading to India’s counter-terror strikes under Operation Sindoor. They highlighted that the airstrikes were in response to the Pahalgam attack and showed photographic evidence of Pakistani military officials attending funerals of killed terrorists during the operation.
Tharoor said, “There can be no equivalence between those who dispatch terrorists and those who resist them. We are only exercising our right of self-defence. If there is any misunderstanding, we are here to dispel it.”
Colombia now aligns with India’s position
Following the meeting with the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Colombia, Rosa Yolanda Villavicencio, Tharoor confirmed that Colombia had withdrawn its earlier statement. He said, “We had some good news: they have withdrawn their statement that disappointed us earlier and will issue a statement of strong support for our position and understanding of our position.”
Speaking to ANI, the Vice Minister acknowledged that the Colombian side had gained a clearer understanding of the situation after a detailed explanation by the Indian delegation. She said, “we are very confident with the explanation that we received today and the detailed information that we now have regarding the real situation, the conflict, and what happened in Kashmir, we can also continue the dialogue.”
Diplomatic outreach gaining momentum
Speaking to media, former Ambassador and BJP leader Taranjit Singh Sandhu added that Colombia’s change of stance shows the value of face-to-face diplomatic engagement. He said, “The end result was that they are withdrawing one of the other statements which had come out and have promised and stated, actually quite clearly, on terrorism and the issue.”
BJP MP Shashank Mani noted Colombia’s history with terrorism and said the nation now better understands India’s position. He said, “It is notable that terrorism has affected Colombia as well. However, after a long struggle, Colombia is now a peaceful country. We have come here with a message of peace. We have clearly stated that we will give a fitting response to every terrorist attack, and when it is over, we want nothing but peace.”
After Colombia, the Indian delegation is headed to Brazil and the United States. Colombia, soon to be a member of the United Nations Security Council, now standing with India rather than Pakistan is being seen as a win for India’s focused and assertive diplomacy. It is also a strong reply to those who were questioning India’s decision to send all-party delegations to different countries to explain India’s position against terrorism and its sympathisers.
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