Colombia retracts Pakistan condolences after Shashi Tharoor-led India delegation explains ‘real situation’

Colombia has officially withdrawn its earlier statement that it issued expressing condolences on the loss of lives in Pakistan after the Indian strikes.

After meeting India’s all-party delegation, Colombia’s Vice Foreign Minister, Rosa Yolanda Villavicencio, said “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…”

Earlier, Congress Member of Parliament (MP) Shashi Tharoor, leading the all-party delegation, had voiced his disappointment over Colombia offering condolences for the loss of lives in Pakistan following Indian strikes in response to the Pahalgam terror attack.

“The Vice Minister very graciously mentioned that they have withdrawn the statement that we had expressed concern about and that they fully understand our position on the matter, which is something we really value,” Tharoor said on Colombia withdrawing its earlier statement.

The Congress MP is leading the delegation to Colombia as part of India’s global outreach to expose Pakistan’s support for cross-border terrorist activities and India’s policy of zero-tolerance for terrorism.

Tharoor elaborates India’s position on terrorism

At a media briefing in this Colombian capital city on Thursday, Tharoor elaborated India’s position on terrorism, spoke about Operation Sindoor and expressed disappointment over Colombia’s response to the Pahalgam terror attack.

Tharoor “reaffirmed India’s stance on terrorism and expressed disappointment over Colombia’s response which has offered condolences for the loss of lives in Pakistan, rather than sympathizing with the victims of terrorism in India,” said BJP parliamentarian Tejasvi Surya, who is also part of this delegation. “There can be no equivalence between those who attack and those who defend,” he said in a social media post.

Surya said India, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi will continue to deliver strong responses to terrorism.

The BJP Lok Sabha MP is part of the nine-member delegation that already travelled to Guyana and Panama before arriving in Colombia on Thursday.

Other members of the delegation include Bhubaneswar Kalita (BJP), Milind Deora (Shiv Sena), Shambhavi (LJP), GM Harish Balayogi (TDP) and former ambassador of India to US Taranjit Singh Sandhu.

During their stay in Bogota, the delegation interacted with Members of Congress, ministers and other key interlocutors in think tanks. From Colombia, the delegation travels to Brazil. It will be in the United States in the last leg of its five-nation trip.

India carried out precision strikes on nine terror infrastructures early on 7 May in response to the 22 April Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people, mostly tourists in Jammu and Kashmir

Following the Indian action, Pakistan attempted to attack Indian military bases on 8, 9 and 10 May. The Pakistani attempts were strongly responded to by the Indian side by inflicting heavy damages to a number of key Pakistani military installations including air bases, air defence systems, command and control centres and radar sites.