30 May 2025 : Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has expressed disappointment over Colombia’s recent statement on the Indian military strikes under Operation Sindoor. The Indian airstrikes targeted known terrorist camps, but Colombia’s government later extended condolences for the loss of lives in Pakistan.
Speaking to reporters in Bogota, Tharoor said, “We were a little disappointed in the reaction of the Colombian government, which apparently expressed heartfelt condolences on the loss of lives in Pakistan after the Indian strikes, rather than sympathising with the victims of terrorism.”
He added, “We are here looking for understanding… We have the impression that perhaps the situation was not fully understood when that one statement was made.”
“Understanding is extremely important for us,” he continued. “We are a country which has really been a force for constructive progress in the world.”
Tharoor underlined that India’s response was a matter of self-defence and not aggression. “We certainly hope that other governments will tell those who give safe haven and protection to terrorists to stop doing so. That would be very helpful indeed, as well in the Security Council or outside it,” he added.
During his address, Shashi Tharoor urged Colombia to reconsider how it views the conflict. “We will say to our friends in Colombia, there can be no equivalence between those who dispatch terrorists and those who resist them,” he said. “There can be no equivalence between those who attack and those who defend. We are only exercising our right of self-defence.”
He emphasised the purpose of the visit was to clear up any confusion. “If there is any misunderstanding here on this core, we are here to dispel any such misunderstanding,” Tharoor said. “We’re very happy to talk to Colombia in some detail about the circumstances.”
Tharoor also pointed out that India has evidence linking the Pahalgam attack to Pakistan-based terror groups. “We have, as I said, very concrete proof. In fact, when this terrorist attack occurred, it was immediately claimed by an organisation called The Resistance Front, which is a unit of the Lashkar-e-Taiba base in Muridke, Pakistan,” the Thiruvananthapuram MP said.
Drawing a comparison between the two countries, he concluded, “Just as Colombia has endured many terror attacks, so have we in India. We have endured a very large number of attacks for almost four decades.”
The Indian delegation is expected to meet Colombian officials to discuss the issue further and present its side of the story.
Tharoor is currently in Bogotá as part of an Indian foreign outreach delegation following Operation Sindoor, launched in response to a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people.
Summary:
Shashi Tharoor expressed disappointment over Colombia’s position on Operation Sindoor and strongly criticized Pakistan for its continued support of cross-border terrorism.