Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who is leading India's all-party delegation, has said he is pleased that the Colombian government has retracted its statement and now expressed support to India's fight against terrorism and solidarity for the Pahalgam terror attack.
Tharoor said that Colombia initially did not fully understand India's position, but after discussions with the foreign ministry, Colombia retracted its earlier statement.
Tharoor's role in changing Colombia's stance
"I’m very pleased to say that following our discussions with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Vice Minister announced that the statement has been withdrawn, and they will now publicly express their understanding and sympathy for our situation," he said while addressing members of the think tank 'The Colombian Council on International Relations' (Cori), along with select political analysts and diplomats at the Gun Club.
"Our mission is to engage with people like you, to share our perspective and concerns about recent developments in our country, which you mentioned — the terrorist attack on our nation and our firm response, which may not have been fully understood at first, as reflected in the earlier statement. We were deeply disappointed by that statement," he added.
Tharoor also highlighted Colombia’s objective of promoting unity in its foreign policy, noting that India shares a similar approach.
What did Colombia say earlier?
On May 30, a day after the Indian delegation arrived in the country, the Colombian government issued a statement condoling the lives lost in Pakistan during India's Operation Sindoor, launched against terror launch pads on May 7.
Tharoor had termed the statement "disappointing", affirming that there can be no comparison between those who harbour terrorists and those who act in self-defence.
India's anti-terror global outreach
Tharoor is leading a multi-party delegation on a diplomatic outreach tour across the Americas. After visiting Panama and Guyana, the group arrived in Colombia on Thursday to promote India’s firm stand against terrorism. Following the Colombia visit, the delegation will travel to Brazil and the United States on Saturday.
The group is one of seven multi-party delegations India has deployed to visit 33 global capitals as part of its outreach to the international community following the Pahalgam terror attack.
Tensions between India and Pakistan rose sharply after the attack in Pahalgam, which left 26 people dead. In response, India launched precision strikes targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in the early hours of May 7. Pakistan retaliated by attempting strikes on Indian military bases on May 8, 9, and 10, to which India responded firmly.
Hostilities on the ground came to a halt after military leaders from both countries — the directors general of military operations — held talks on May 10 and agreed to cease further military actions.
