Indian delegation impact: Colombia retracts statement on Op Sindoor, setback for Pak

In a big diplomatic win for India, Colombia has taken back its earlier statement on Operation Sindoor after Congress MP Shashi Tharoor expressed disappointment over its leadership’s comments.

What did Colombia say before?

After the successful conduct of Operation Sindoor, Colombia backed Pakistan, expressing condolences over the loss of lives in Pakistan owing to the Indian Army’s air strikes, which were precise in nature.

According to a report by News18, the Indian delegation told officials in Colombia that “there is a distinction between tourists killed and terrorists neutralised” and that both cannot be equated.

Following a meeting with MP Alejandro Toro, President of the Second Commission of the Chamber of Representatives, Tharoor said, “There is no equivalence possible between terrorists on the one hand and innocent civilians on the other. There is no equivalence between those who attack our country and those who defend their own country, and our only disappointment with the earlier statement by Colombia was that it seemed to have overlooked this difference.”

What had Tharoor said earlier?

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 sympathising with the victims of terrorism in India,” said BJP parliamentarian Tejasvi Surya.

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What has Colombia said now?

After protests from the Indian delegation, Colombia officially retracted its statement on Operation Sindoor.

“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,” Colombia’s Vice Foreign Minister, Rosa Yolanda Villavicencio, said.

#WATCH | Colombia officially withdraws its earlier statement that it issued expressing condolences on the loss of lives in Pakistan after the Indian strikes; earlier, Shashi Tharoor, who is leading the all-party delegation, raised concern and said - we (India) were a little… pic.twitter.com/iVFmLUl1yP

— ANI (@ANI) May 30, 2025

Tharoor replied, “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.”