Colombia Withdraws Statement on Pakistan After Tharoor Slammed Pahalgam Attack Response

Colombia has officially withdrawn its earlier statement expressing condolences over the loss of lives in Pakistan following India’s counter-terrorism strikes, after a high-level Indian parliamentary delegation, led by Dr. Shashi Tharoor, engaged with Colombian leadership in Bogotá.

Image Source: ST on X

Vice Foreign Minister Rosa Yolanda Villavicencio stated that Colombia now has "detailed information" and a clearer understanding of the situation in Kashmir, adding, “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, Tharoor had voiced India's disappointment over Colombia’s initial reaction, calling it "disappointing" during an interview with journalist Juan Camilo Ramirez. “There can be no equivalence between those who dispatch terrorists and those who defend themselves,” Tharoor stated, emphasizing that India expected solidarity for the victims of terrorism, not sympathy for perpetrators.

"There is no equivalence possible between terrorists on the one hand and innocent civilians on the other—nor between those who attack our country and those who defend it. Our only disappointment with Colombia’s earlier statement was that it seemed to overlook this difference. We are pleased to learn that the statement has been withdrawn, as you’ve mentioned. And we appreciate that you, as representatives of the people of Colombia, are committed to standing with us—for our sovereignty and for peace in the Indian subcontinent," the Congress MP and former UN Diplomat noted. 

India asserts that the May 7 airstrikes targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in response to the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir, which killed 26 civilians. Pakistan responded with military actions from May 8 to 10, leading to a brief escalation that ended with a ceasefire agreement on May 10 after military-level talks.

Tharoor reiterated India’s position with evidence pointing to Pakistan-based terror groups and highlighted the long-standing impact of terrorism on both India and Colombia. He also raised concerns about China's role in supplying military hardware to Pakistan, linking it to broader regional security dynamics.

The delegation includes MPs from across party lines—Sarfraz Ahmad (JMM), G M Harish Balayogi (TDP), Shashank Mani Tripathi (BJP), Bhubaneswar Kalita (BJP), Milind Deora (Shiv Sena), Tejasvi Surya (BJP)—and former ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu. Their visit to Colombia follows stops in Panama and Guyana as part of India's global diplomatic initiative following the Pahalgam attack. The agenda in Bogotá includes meetings with lawmakers, ministries, think tanks, and media to strengthen ties and convey India’s stance on counter-terrorism.