US and Colombia recall their ambassadors in diplomatic tussle
Presidents Trump and Petro had previously clashed over Colombia’s refusal to accept military aircraft carrying deported migrants
Washington recalled the top diplomat from its embassy in Bogota on Thursday over statements it said were made at high levels of the Colombian government, prompting the South American country to also recall its ambassador to the United States.
US President Donald Trump’s administration recalled Chargé d’Affaires ad interim John McNamara “for urgent consultations following baseless and reprehensible statements from the highest levels of the Government of Colombia”, US State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said in a statement.
“In addition to the recall of the Chargé, the United States is pursuing other measures to make clear our deep concern over the current state of our bilateral relationship.”
The State Department did not specify which comments it took issue with or what other measures were being pursued by Washington.
After Washington’s announcement, Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced that he was recalling Colombia’s ambassador to the US, Daniel Garcia-Pena.
In a lengthy social media post, Petro said the diplomat should come back to discuss the two countries’ bilateral agenda, listing priorities such as climate cooperation, anti-narcotics efforts and migration policy.