In a significant diplomatic achievement for India, Colombia has retracted a controversial statement expressing condolences for casualties in Pakistan following India’s military response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. The shift in position comes after high-level meetings between an Indian all-party parliamentary delegation and Colombian officials in Bogotá.
Led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, the delegation is on a multi-nation tour as part of India’s global outreach campaign, Operation Sindoor—an initiative aimed at exposing Pakistan’s complicity in cross-border terrorism and reaffirming India’s uncompromising stance on the issue.
India had earlier expressed strong disappointment after Colombia issued a message of sympathy for Pakistani lives lost during India’s targeted counterterrorism operation. The Pahalgam attack had claimed the lives of 26 innocent civilians, including tourists, sparking outrage across the nation.
Addressing students and faculty at Bogotá’s Tadeo Lozano University on Friday, Tharoor announced the diplomatic breakthrough. “We had some good news: Colombia has withdrawn the statement that disappointed us earlier. They will be issuing a new message of strong support and understanding of India’s position,” he said.
This development followed a meeting with Rosa Yolanda Villavicencio, Colombia’s Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, who assured the Indian delegation of her country’s commitment to a clearer understanding of the situation.
“We are very confident 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,” Villavicencio said after the meeting, suggesting that Colombia now sees the situation through a more nuanced and informed lens.
Tharoor praised Colombia’s revised stance, saying, “They fully understand our position now, and the Vice Minister very graciously acknowledged our concerns. It is something we greatly value.”
BJP MP Tejasvi Surya, also part of the delegation, emphasized the importance of correcting misperceptions around India’s military actions. “We clarified that while they [terrorists] targeted tourists, India’s response neutralized terrorists. No civilian casualties occurred during Operation Sindoor. Drawing a false equivalence is not acceptable,” he said.
According to Surya, Colombia has now extended its full support to India’s fight against terrorism and affirmed its solidarity with the victims of the Pahalgam attack. “This marks a significant diplomatic accomplishment for our delegation,” he added.
The delegation’s visit to Colombia follows stops in Panama and Guyana. Next on the itinerary are Brazil and the United States, where further engagements are planned to build international consensus on counterterrorism efforts and bolster India’s global narrative on security and justice.
Operation Sindoor continues to be a key component of India’s foreign policy strategy, particularly in shaping international opinion on terrorism and ensuring that nations do not fall prey to misinformed sympathies.
