The government of Gustavo Petro ordered this Wednesday
the expulsion of all Argentine diplomats
from the embassy in Bogotá, after Javier Milei called the Colombian president a "terrorist murderer."
A statement received tonight by journalists accredited to the Colombian Foreign Ministry received the message "on behalf of the government of Colombia", in which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of that country expressed that "it repudiates statements made by Mr. Javier Milei, President of Argentina, in an interview with the CNN channel in which he expressed himself in a
degrading manner
against the first President of the Colombians, the respected Mr. Gustavo Petro."
The text indicated along the same lines that "this is not the first time that Mr. Milei offends the Colombian President, affecting the historical relations of brotherhood between Colombia and Argentina." And he also considered that "the expressions of the Argentine president have deteriorated the confidence of our nation, in addition to offending the dignity of President Petro, who was democratically elected."
The statement concluded:
"In this context, the Government of Colombia orders the expulsion of diplomats from the Argentine embassy in Colombia. The scope of this decision will be communicated to the Argentine Embassy through diplomatic institutional channels."
As this newspaper learned,
there are at least five officials at the Argentine headquarters in the Colombian capital,
but it is still unknown who will have to immediately return to the country.
The Foreign Ministry, on behalf of the Government of Colombia, repudiates statements made by Mr. Javier Milei, Pdte. from Argentina, in an interview with the CNN channel in which he expresses himself in a degrading manner against the First President of Colombians, the respected Mr. @petrogustavo.
— Colombian Foreign Ministry (@CancilleriaCol) March 28, 2024
Previously, the Colombian ambassador in Buenos Aires,
Camilo Romero
, who is "in consultation" in his country, gave a strong warning of possible reprisals from the government of his country.
"It is clear that every (time) Milei is asked about Petro he
will respond with insults.
On the two previous occasions the Colombian president has preferred to downplay these offenses. Milei's words speak more about him than about Petro. Today the Government Colombian government
is exploring all measures. Decisions will be announced soon,"
Romero said. Romero probably won't return, but nothing was announced about his fate. If the relationship between the two countries continues like this,
diplomatic rupture is on the brink.
Zero and there are three.
It is clear that every time you ask @JMilei about @petrogustavo, he will respond with insults.
On the two previous occasions, the Colombian president has preferred to downplay these offenses. Milei's words speak more about him than about Petro.
Today the…
— Camilo Romero (@CamiloRomero) March 27, 2024
One of the versions that circulated in the afternoon, but which was officially denied, said that Petro
would permanently withdraw his ambassador from Argentina and that he would request the expulsion of our country's representative
in Bogotá, Gustavo Dzugala. Likewise, Dzugala arrived with the government of Alberto Fernández to said country and
was already leaving.
Romero is not in Argentina at the moment. The Colombian embassy was left
in the hands of Inés Elvira Herrera, chargé d'affaires.
The information that had circulated early, and was replicated by various media, was based on an alleged statement from the Colombian Foreign Ministry, but it was later confirmed that it was not official.
A high-level source consulted by this newspaper thus referred to the alleged statement that was presented as President Petro's reaction to an interview that Milei had with CNN in Spanish and that will be broadcast on Sunday.
In this, according to the network's previews this Wednesday, Milei described as "a compliment" the repeated questions from his Mexican counterpart Andrés Manuel López Obrador - who even compared him to Hitler and on more than one occasion criticized the economic policy implemented in Argentina for La Libertad Avanza- and
targeted Petro
. Referring to his guerrilla past in the April 19 Movement, she said:
“You can't expect much from someone who was a terrorist murderer
. ”
The sources consulted in Colombia said that both President Petro and Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo are aware of Milei's statements that are expected to be publicly disseminated on Sunday.
Ambassador Romero remains in consultations in Bogotá since Milei called Petro a
“murderous communist who is sinking Colombia”
last January. And Dzugala is still in his position. Furthermore,
the Colombian Foreign Ministry continues without giving the style approval to Mario Verón Guerra
, the diplomat designated to replace Dzugala in Colombia.
Criticisms of López Obrador and Petro
When asked about the comments made by the president of Mexico about his administration, the libertarian responded:
"It is a compliment that an ignorant person like López Obrador speaks badly of me, it exalts me
. "
The phrases were part of a
preview of an interview that will be broadcast this Sunday on the CNN en Español channel
. The one dedicated to the Mexican was seen on video and
that of the Colombian was advanced in the text of a note that the media announced on its website
. It is not the first time that Milei refers in these terms to Petro who, before the runoff,
gave his explicit support to Sergio Massa's candidacy.
The strange text without letterhead that unidentified sources circulated in Argentina was made public on a very particular day for the Foreign Ministry. It suffered a crash of its entire electronic system, including its platforms, something that authorities attributed to sabotage.
Colombia is
an extremely important country for Argentine trade
. It is the second destination for automobile exports after Brazil, and Argentine wine sales are growing notably there. In Colombia there are
Mercado Libre, Pescarmona, Globant, Techint
, and medium-sized companies from this country that provide service to the oil industry there. And it is a country that on a political, police and immigration level shares valuable and sensitive information with Argentina due to the growth of international organized crime.
Milei had clashes with Petro and several leaders that he rejects for being from the range that he depreciates by calling them "communists" and "dictators." In August 2023, while in the electoral campaign, the Argentine referred to the Colombian on Twitter as follows: "What is deep down a socialist? He is garbage, human excrement." And Petro responded with "This is what Hitler said."
What the false statement said
Without letterhead and sent by WhatsApp, the alleged statement that
President Petro's government denied to
Clarín says:
"Rejection of the statements of the President of the Argentine Republic, Javier Milei...
Bogotá DC, March 27, 2024.
The Government of the Republic of Colombia, presents its most emphatic rejection of the new statements of Mr. Javier Milei, President of Argentina, against President Gustavo Petro, in the framework of an interview with the CNN en Español medium, on the 26th of March.
These baseless statements, which have been presented repeatedly, significantly affect the historical relations of friendship between the two nations, and deteriorate the possibilities of understanding and cooperation for the progress of both peoples. President Milei also ignores and ignores the effects that his past statements had on the bilateral relationship, thereby demonstrating an absolute lack of interest in maintaining a respectful and productive relationship between both countries.
President Milei's words represent, once again, an offense to the dignity of the President and the people of Colombia who elected him legitimately and democratically.
As a result of the foregoing, the Government of Colombia definitively withdraws its accredited Ambassador in Buenos Aires, while it will request the Ambassador of Argentina in Colombia to leave the national territory in the shortest possible time."