US and Colombia recall envoys as diplomatic rift deepens

In response to an alleged plot against Colombia’s left-wing leader, the United States and Colombia have called back their respective top diplomats.

Washington, DC came out on top, recalling its top official John McNamara on Thursday, “following baseless and repugnant statements made by the government of Colombia’s highest officials,” according to State Department spokesman Tammy Bruce, without providing specifics.

Without providing further details, Bruce claimed that the United States “is taking other steps to express our deep concern about the current state of our bilateral relationship.”

Gustavo Petro, Colombia’s president, made the announcement that he would call home his top diplomat in Washington, DC, in response.

Ambassador Daniel Garcia-Pena “must come in to inform us of the development of the bilateral agenda,” Petro wrote on X, citing “the development of South America’s great potential for clean energy” and “the fight against drug lords and their international finances.”

Colombia’s foreign minister resigned earlier on Thursday, making him the most senior official to leave Petro’s administration.

On X, Laura Sarabia, who was also Petro’s former chief of staff, wrote, “In recent days, decisions have been made that I do not agree with and that I cannot support.”

Tie-ups and ties

Before abruptly deteriorating bilateral relations, Colombia was one of the US’s closest allies in Latin America, with decades of right-wing rule.

Following the publication of recordings that implicated former foreign minister Alvaro Leyva by the Spanish daily El Pais, prosecutor’s in the South American nation launched an investigation this week into an alleged plot to overthrow Petro with the help of Colombian and American politicians.

Petro claimed on Monday that “this is nothing more than a conspiracy with drug traffickers and, ostensibly, the Colombian and American extreme right.”

Petro stated in a speech in Bogota on Thursday that he did not believe that Marco Rubio, the alleged overthrow attempt’s US Secretary of State, was “in the midst of a coup d’etat” against his government.

He claimed, “I don’t think a government that has Iran as its enemy and nuclear weapons pointed at it will start tampering with a coup d’etat” in Colombia.

Petro’s refusal to allow US military aircraft to bring Colombian refugees and migrants back to their country provoked a brief suspension of consular services in late January.

Petro claimed that the US had shackled and handcuffed them and treated them like criminals.

The two nations threatened and counteracted with crippling trade tariffs of up to 50%.

A secret diplomatic arrangement that included the arrival of Colombian air force planes to collect the refugees and migrants prevented a looming trade war at the last minute.

Bogota’s Alessandro Rampietti, a journalist for Al Jazeera, reported that the first conflict between the two nations over the deportation of immigrants was quickly resolved in January.

He said, “The current situation is obviously very worrying because it’s not clear what will happen in this case.”

However, Rampietti continued, “it shows that ties that were once assumed may now be unraveling.”

Colombia’s left-wing government recently declined to grant a US request to extradite two well-known rebel leaders accused of drug trafficking.