Colombia withdraws statement condoling deaths in Pakistan, will issue strong support for India: Shashi Tharoor

All-party delegation leader Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, with delegation members, meets former President of Colombia, Cesar Gaviria, at his residence in Bogota on May 30, 2025
| Photo Credit: ANI

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Friday (May 30, 2025) said that Colombia will issue a statement of support for India’s position after the Latin American country withdrew its statement condoling the deaths in Pakistan during India’s Operation Sindoor.

Mr. Tharoor confirmed it during the all-party delegation’s visit to Tadeo Lozano University in Bogota, where the group also paid floral tribute to Mahatma Gandhi.

“We met with the Foreign Ministry, the Senior Vice Minister received us. We had some good news: They have withdrawn their earlier statement that disappointed us and will issue a statement of strong support for our position and understanding of our position. Finally, here we are before this beautiful bust of Mahatma Gandhi on the campus of the main university,” Mr. Tharoor said.

Former Indian Ambassador to the United States and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Taranjit Singh Sandhu said that the delegation’s detailed briefing helped reverse the Colombian stance.

“This morning we had a detailed interaction with the acting Foreign Minister, and our leader and the entire team made specific points to them, explaining to them the timeline, which perhaps to an extent they might have missed out. The end result was that they are withdrawing one of the other statements that had been made and have promised, actually quite clearly, on the issue of terrorism. The importance of Colombia, apart from other reasons, is also that it will be a member of the Security Council soon,” Mr. Sandhu told ANI.

‘Colombia understands India’s position’

BJP MP Shashank Mani added that Colombia, a country once plagued by conflict, now understands India’s position well.

“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.”

A day before, Mr. Tharoor, who is leading the all-party delegation to the Americas during his Bogota visit, expressed dismay over the South American country’s stance during a press conference. He said that India was disappointed with the Colombian government for expressing condolences over the loss of lives in Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, rather than sympathising with the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack.

“We will say to our friends in Colombia, there can be no equivalence between those who dispatch terrorists and those who resist them. There can be no equivalence between those who attack and those who defend. We are only exercising our right of self-defence, and if there is any misunderstanding here, on this core, we are here to dispel any such misunderstanding,” he had said.

After concluding the Colombia visit, the all-party delegation will be heading to Brazil and the United States on Saturday (May 31, 2025).