'Once We Explained...': Shashi Tharoor On How Columbia Changed Stance On Pakistan

Last Updated:June 10, 2025, 17:26 IST

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor led an all-party delegation to explain India's anti-terror stance, successfully getting Columbia to reverse its stance on Pakistan.

Tharoor-led delegation has travelled to Guyana, Panama, Colombia, Brazil and the US.  (PTI file)

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who led one of the seven all-party delegations to various nations to explain India’s anti-terror stance, on Tuesday said it was an excellent visit and his team got good results.

Tharoor, a former diplomat, also explained how his team got Columbia to stance on Pakistan and withdrew its statement expressing condolences loss of lives in Pakistan during Operation Sindoor.

“Each of these meetings was very good. In Columbia, one thing that was positive for us was that we got them to reverse the stand they had taken, perhaps without enough thought. When Operation Sindoor started, they had issued a statement expressing heartfelt condolences for the Pakistani victims, having lost sight of the context. Once we had explained all that, they have withdrawn their statement. The statement was on record for a couple of weeks but it was taken down as soon as we raised the issue and subsequently, we got the Acting Foreign Minister to speak to the media and acknowledge their support for our stand and we had told them. So, all of that went very well. I think particularly, with Parliamentarians everywhere, the level of understanding was first-class," Tharoor said.

The Lok Sabha MP from Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram said his team held high-quality meetings with Presidents, Prime Ministers, Vice Presidents, and very senior interlocutors.

“At the same time, there was a complete understanding of our position, why this whole thing had been triggered by Pahalgam, and what our reaction had to be. Many of the people we spoke to specifically expressed respect for the restraint we had shown in our reaction. So, I would say that we have come out of this extremely well," he added.

“All of this was very thoroughly fulfilled. So, I would say that touch wood, we have done what we were asked to do and we are coming home reasonably exhausted and reasonably happy," he said.

Colombia Withdraws Its Statement On Pakistan

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

India’s Anti-Terror Diplomacy

India sent seven all-party delegations to several countries across the globe in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor to convey India’s stance against terrorism following the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor.

Tharoor-led delegation has travelled to Guyana, Panama, Colombia, Brazil and the US.

News india 'Once We Explained...': Shashi Tharoor On How Columbia Changed Stance On Pakistan