The Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Colombia and Argentina released this Sunday (31) a joint note stating that they are holding talks to “strengthen diplomatic relations”. The document was released after a crisis between the countries last week, which culminated in the expulsion of the Argentine diplomatic corps from Bogotá.
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The measure taken by the Colombian government of Gustavo Petro was taken after the president of Argentina, Javier Milei, referred to the Colombian president as a “terrorist murderer” in an interview with CNN. The Colombian Foreign Ministry reacted with a note stating that “this is not the first time that Mr. Milei has offended the Colombian president, affecting the historic relations of brotherhood between Colombia and Argentina”.
Subsequently, Colombia stated that it would expel Argentina’s diplomatic corps from Bogotá. In the document, the Colombian government stated that Argentina’s ambassador to the country, Camilo Romero, would return to Buenos Aires until the new ambassador was announced by Milei.
According to Casa Rosada, Argentina’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Diana Mondino, will make an official visit to Colombia, but no date has yet been set.
The text also highlights that the two countries are taking “concrete steps to overcome any differences” and that they will continue a diplomatic relationship established 201 years ago.
The Argentine president’s statement was not Milei’s first attack on Petro. In January, the Argentine had already called Petro a “murderous communist”, in an interview with Colombian TV. At the time, the Colombian Foreign Ministry repudiated the statements, stating that “the government vehemently rejects this statement that attacks the president’s honor” and that Milei’s words “ignore and violate the deep friendship between the two countries”.
Petro was a member of the guerrilla group Movimento 19 de Abril (M-19) in his youth and had the code name “Comandante Aureliano”. Organized after allegations of fraud in the 1970 election, M-19 was part of a wave of guerrilla movements in Latin America that also included the Tupamaros in Uruguay and the Montoneros in Argentina. weapons and turned into a political party.
Even before taking office, Milei began attacking other left-wing governments in South America. He said he would break relations with the Brazilian government of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and called the president of Mexico, Manuel López Obrador, “ignorant”. In the same interview given to CNNMilei called for more diplomatic sanctions on Venezuela and called President Nicolás Maduro a “dictator”.
Editing: Rodrigo Durão Coelho
