Colombia Retracts ‘Condolence’ Over Terrorist Killed during Op Sindoor

Bowing to Indian diplomatic pressure, the Colombian government has retracted its statement that ‘condoled’ the deaths of people killed in Pakistan during Operation Sindoor. The Colombian government announced this during the visit of an Indian parliamentary delegation led by Congress member of parliament (MP) Shashi Tharoor. 

The Shashi Tharoor-led parliamentary delegation arrived in Colombia after visiting Guyana and Panama. They will also visit Brazil and the United States of America.

The government has formed Seven parliamentary delegation comprising members of all political parties to visit 32 key countries to expose Pakistan’s support to terrorism and its role in the Pahalgam terror incident and explain India’s counterterror ‘Operation Sindoor’.

Colombia take back its statement on Operation Sindoor 

After India launched Operation Sindoor on the night of May 6-7, 2025, to hit terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. It was launched after terrorists killed 26 tourists in Pahalgam, Kashmir, on 22 April 2025.

The attack was claimed by the Resistance Front, a front of the proscribed Pakistani terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Over 100 people were killed in the Indian strike, in which Pakistan claimed that innocent children and women were killed.

The  Colombian Foreign Ministry issued a statement expressing condolences for those killed in Pakistan. 

After his arrival in Bogota, Colombia, Shashi Tharoor expressed his disappointment with the Colombian position.

However, after meeting with the Indian parliamentary delegation, Colombia’s Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Rosa Yolanda Villavicencio, said that Colombia is withdrawing its statement as it now understands the situation.

Why is Colombia important?

The main aim of the parliamentary delegation is

• Inform the world about India’s position on terrorism and the circumstances that led to India launching Operation Sindoor.
• Expose Pakistan and its support for terrorism as a state policy.
• To mould the world opinion in favour of India.

Guyana and Panama are currently the non-permanent United Nations Security Council members.

Colombia is expected to become a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council in 2026, as it is the only candidate for the seat from the Latin American quota.

Pakistan is a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for 2025 and 2026.

India is currently not a member of the United Nations Security Council.

Thus, India has chosen Colombia, Guyana and Panama to counter Pakistan in the Security Council.

Members of the Shashi Tharoor-led Parliamentary delegation 

The Parliamentary delegation that Shashi Tharoor is leading includes BJP leaders Tejasvi Surya, Bhubaneswar Kalita, and Shashank Mani Tripathi; Telugu Desam Party leader GM Harish Balayogi; Shiv Sena leader Milind Murli Deora; Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader Sarfaraz Ahmad; and Shambhavi of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas).

About Colombia 

It is a country in South America.

It is named after the Italian explorer Christopher Columbus, who discovered North America.

Capital-Bogota 

Currency -Colombian peso

President -Gustavo Petro

Also Read: Government Diplomatic Outreach on Op Sindoor & on Pakistan launched