In a notable reversal of its earlier stance, Colombia is set to issue a statement endorsing India’s position on cross-border terrorism, days after its initial condolence over deaths in Pakistan post-Operation Sindoor triggered sharp disapproval from New Delhi.
The diplomatic volte-face follows a high-level intervention by a visiting Indian parliamentary delegation led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who had publicly expressed “disappointment” over Bogotá’s initial position. “They have withdrawn their statement that disappointed us earlier and will issue a statement of strong support for our position,” Tharoor stated on Friday, following engagements with Colombian officials in Bogotá.
The all-party delegation, on a multi-nation tour of Latin America, reached Colombia after visiting Panama and Guyana. The group has been tasked with reaching out to the international community in the aftermath of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, in which 26 civilians were killed.
BJP leader and former Indian Ambassador to the United States, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, said a detailed interaction with Colombia’s acting foreign minister had contributed significantly to the diplomatic U-turn. “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,” he said in a statement to ANI.
“The importance of Colombia, apart from other reasons, is also that it will be a member of the Security Council soon,” Sandhu added, underlining the strategic value of Bogotá’s support.
Colombian Vice Foreign Minister Rosa Yolanda Villavicencio acknowledged the shift, remarking, “We are very confident that 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.”
Also read: Tharoor 'disappointed' by Colombia’s Op Sindoor response
Responding to the revised position, Tharoor underscored the moral clarity India brings to the matter. “There can be no equivalence between those who dispatch terrorists and those who defend theelves,” he said.
Citing concrete evidence pointing to Pakistan’s involvement in the Pahalgam attack, Tharoor added, “We are only exercising our right of self-defence. Just as Colombia has endured many terror attacks, so have we in India. We have endured a very large number of attacks for almost four decades.”
The Indian delegation’s engagements in Bogotá include meetings with Members of Congress, ministers, think tanks and media organisations. Among the delegation members are Sarfraz Ahmad (Jharkhand Mukti Morcha), G M Harish Balayogi (Telugu Desam Party), Shashank Mani Tripathi (BJP), Bhubaneswar Kalita (BJP), Milind Deora (Shiv Sena), Tejasvi Surya (BJP), and Taranjit Singh Sandhu.
The group is one of seven Indian delegations currently visiting 33 global capitals to rally international support and convey India’s narrative following the Pahalgam massacre and its aftermath.
Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated significantly following the Pahalgam incident. India carried out targeted air strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in the early hours of 7 May. Pakistan responded with attempted attacks on Indian military installations on 8, 9 and 10 May, prompting robust counter-measures from the Indian side.
Hostilities ceased following backchannel negotiations and an agreement between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of both countries on 10 May.
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