New Tensions Between Colombia and US Over Coup Plot Reveal

A new wave of tensions has emerged between Colombia and the US. Both Petro and Trump have announced that they are withdrawing their respective chargé d’affaires in each other’s countries in the aftermath of reports of a possible coup plot against Gustavo Petro.

According to a report published by the Spanish newspaper El País on June 29, Álvaro Leyva, the former minister of foreign affairs in Petro’s government, met with the Republican congressman of the United States, Mario Díaz-Balart, to discuss an “early exit” of Petro’s progressive government.

Petro and his supporters were quick to respond, denouncing the plot and calling for clarification of the events. Charges have also been filed against Leyva.

Days after the report was published, on July 3, the US Department of State announced that it was going to withdraw its chargé d’affaires at the US Embassy in Colombia for the moment due to, according to a press release, “the repudiatory and unfounded statements of the highest officials of the government of Colombia. In addition to the withdrawal of the chargé d’affaires, the United States is taking other steps to make clear our deep concern about the current state of our bilateral relationship.”

Petro, in response to Washington’s decision to recall Ambassador John McNamara, recalled Colombia’s chargé d’affaires to the US: “Correspondingly to the call for consultations of Mr. McNámara, in charge of the US embassy in Colombia, I call for consultations with our representative in the United States, Daniel García Peña,” stated the Colombian president on X. “Daniel must come to inform us of the development of the bilateral agenda to which I committed myself since the beginning of my government.”

Crisis in Colombian diplomacy
The decision was taken amid a crisis in Colombian diplomacy. Laura Sarabia resigned as Colombian foreign minister citing discrepancies with the Colombian President. “In the last few days, decisions have been made that I do not share and that, for personal coherence and institutional respect, I cannot accompany. It is not a matter of minor differences or of who is right. It is about a course that, with all the affection and respect I have for [Petro], it is no longer possible for me to execute,” the former Colombian Secretary of State said in her resignation letter.

There is some speculation on whether Sarabia was alluding to the growing tension between Washington and Bogotá, or if she was alluding to personal disagreements with Petro’s style of governance, specifically with respect to the company that was contracted to print passports. However, the reasons for Sarabia’s resignation are not yet completely clear.

Colombia’s President Files Charges Against Former Foreign Minister for Conspiracy

A brief history of diplomatic tensions
This is not the first time that Petro and Trump have presented radically different positions on foreign policy that ended up causing tensions between the two governments. Months ago, Petro declared that he would refuse to receive airplanes loaded with hundreds of Colombian deportees under Trump’s new immigration policy. The latter threatened to impose very high tariffs, to which Petro responded that he would also do so. However, the diplomatic impasse was settled without major difficulties when the US authorities agreed that Colombian migrants returning to Colombia would not be handcuffed.

Another tense episode occurred a few weeks ago, following the assassination attempt on right-wing candidate Miguel Uribe Turbay, which authorities continue to investigate. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, said on X: “The United States condemns in the strongest possible terms the attempted assassination of Senator Miguel Uribe. This is a direct threat to democracy and the result of the violent leftist rhetoric coming from the highest levels of the Colombian government. Having seen firsthand Colombia’s progress over the past few decades to consolidate security and democracy, it can’t afford to go back to the dark days of political violence. President Petro needs to dial back the inflammatory rhetoric and protect Colombian officials.”

For its part, the Colombian embassy in the United States repudiated Rubio’s comments: “In light of the above, we do not accept his comments regarding President Petro,” said García-Peña. “The United States can help by providing technical assistance and sharing intelligence to trace the origins of the weapon used against Senator Uribe and identify the intellectual authors behind this attack so that they can be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

Petro’s letter to Trump
Before the new crisis erupted, President Petro had sent a letter to his counterpart Donald Trump in which he tried to defuse tensions and thus avoid a new diplomatic impasse: “I wish to clarify that any expression of mine that has been interpreted as a direct accusation about participation in an alleged coup d’état in Colombia, was not intended to point fingers at anyone personally or to question the role of the United States unfoundedly.”

“I recognize that it is possible that some of my words may have been perceived as unnecessarily harsh. For the sake of dialogue, I want to say that my intention is not to close doors, but to open paths for an honest and respectful conversation between our countries,” Petro continues.

However, the letter–which we do not know if President Trump ever responded to, and was only revealed after the eruption in tensions–did not manage to avoid a new diplomatic crisis. The solution to the new bout of tensions and any negotiations or agreements that could reestablish regular diplomatic channels remain to be seen.

(People’s Dispatch)