Changing Stance: Colombia Withdraws Condolences to Pakistan, Offers Support to India’s “Operation Sindoor”
NEW DELHI, May 31: In a major diplomaic win for India, Colombia has withdrawn a statement offering condolences to Pakistan for the loss of lives during the “Operation Sindoor” in response to the Pahalgam terror attack after the Shashi Tharoor-led Indian Parliamentary delegation explained Islamabad’s relentless support to cross-border terrorism.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, leading an all-party delegation to the South American country, confirmed Bogota’s withdrawal of the controversial statement after meeting Vice-Foreign Minister Rosa Yolanda Villavicencio.
In the last two days, the nine-member delegation held a series of meetings with Columbia’s senior political brass, apprising India’s policy of “zero tolerance for terrorism” and its retaliatory strikes against terror infrastructure on Pakistani soil following the April 22 Pahalgam attack.
“Began today with an excellent meeting with the Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of Colombia, Rosa Yolanda Villavicencio, and her senior colleagues dealing with the Asia-Pacific,” Mr Tharoor said in a social media post. “I expressed India’s view of recent events and voiced disappointment at Colombia’s statement on May 8 conveying ‘heartfelt condolences’ to Pakistan,” he said.
“The Minister assured me that the statement had been withdrawn and that our position was now properly understood and strongly supported,” the Congress MP added. At a media briefing on Thursday, Mr Tharoor had voiced his deep disappointment over Colombia offering condolences for the loss of lives in Pakistan following India’s military actions.
However, there was no official word from New Delhi on Colombia’s position following India’s Operation Sindoor and its withdrawal of the statement. India has sent seven separate delegations to different parts of the globe to apprise the key countries about Pakistan’s relentless support to cross-border terrorism and circumstances leading India’s launch of “Operation Sindoor.”
In Bogota, the Indian delegation also met Alejandro Toro, the president of the Second Commission of the Chamber of Representatives (equivalent to India’s Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs) and Jaime Raul Salamanca, president of the Chamber of Representatives (equivalent of Lok Sabha Speaker).
“Both dignitaries expressed full understanding of our position and voiced strong support for India’s right to defend itself, its territory and its sovereignty,” Mr Tharoor said on ‘X’. The delegation also held a meeting with senior officials of the Colombia Council for International Relations.
Mr Tharoor is leading the delegation part of India’s global outreach to expose Pakistan’s support to cross-border terrorist activities. The nine-member delegation already travelled to Guyana and Panama before arriving in Colombia on Thursday.
Other members of the delegation include, Tejasvi Surya (BJP), Bhubaneswar Kalita (BJP), Milind Deora (Shiv Sena), Shambhavi (LJP), GM Harish Balayogi (TDP) and former ambassador of India to the U.S. Taranjit Singh Sandhu. From Colombia, the delegation is travelling to Brazil. It will be in the United States on the last leg of its five-nation trip.
(Manas Dasgupta)
