Colombia and Argentina Seek to Improve Relations

Colombia and Argentina are working to improve their relations, after the last confrontation between their presidents. In a joint statement issued a few days ago, the respective Ministries of Foreign Affairs expressed that “on the precise instructions of the presidents of both nations” they will seek “concrete steps to overcome any differences and strengthen this relationship”.

To further this initiative, Argentina announced that its Foreign Minister, Diana Mondino, will soon travel to Colombia to strengthen diplomatic relations, which have been significantly damaged after repeated verbal incidents between the two heads of state.

Return of ambassadors

In this line, Camilo Romero, Colombian ambassador, announced his return to Buenos Aires, after being recalled for consultations by Colombia. This formula is the most forceful diplomatic manifestation prior to the rupture of relations, since it implies a call for the immediate return of the diplomatic delegate to his country. Likewise, the declaration of the two countries explains that Colombia “grants its approval to the new Ambassador proposed by the Argentine Government in Bogota”. In this way, Colombia revokes its initial intention to expel the Argentine diplomats.

It should be recalled that the last episode in this diplomatic crisis originated last March 27, when the Argentine president, Javier Milei, said in an interview to CNN that Gustavo Petro, Colombian president, was a “terrorist murderer”.

Verbal excesses have become a common trend since Milei became president of his country in December last year. In fact, even before and during his presidential campaign, he showed a verbal aggressiveness unusual for such high-level politicians, even dedicating strong words against the Catholic pope, Francis, of Argentinean origin.

Ideological confrontation

Milei and Petro represent diametrically opposed ideologies and both are regional referents of each of them. In this sense, when Milei dedicates coarse words such as “terrorist murderer” or “communist” to the current Colombian president, he is talking about Gustavo Petro’s past as a guerrilla militant.

The reality is that the Colombian head of state was a member of the M19 guerrilla in Colombia, where he was a militant for ten years. This illegal organization was created in 1970, as a protest against the manipulation of the electoral results that gave the victory to the official candidacy, headed by Misael Pastrana, to the detriment of the opposition candidate Rojas Pinilla.

The M19 was not, like the FARC or the ELN, a rural guerrilla with territorial dominance. It was an urban guerrilla, with a presence essentially in Bogota and few forceful propaganda actions. This organization finally made peace with the State and demobilized in 1990, 34 years ago, actively participating in the drafting of the 1991 Constitution, currently in force.

As for the criminal acts that Milei has tried to impute to his Colombian counterpart when the most forceful action of the M19 took place, the seizure of the Palace of Justice in November 1985, Petro was imprisoned for his membership in the illegal group.

Although Gustavo Petro’s criminal record does not include convictions for acts of bloodshed, but for belonging to an illegal armed group and for illegal possession of weapons, Milei uses his past as a subversive militant of the Colombian president to discredit an ideology, the left, against which he has spared no disqualifications.

Relationships of two centuries

In what is a necessary attempt for the two countries to recover normality in their historically important relations, which these days are celebrating 201 years of formal establishment, Colombian and Argentinean diplomacy is working to reduce the tension.

“The Colombian and Argentine diasporas residing in both countries: students, workers, businessmen and families, have built this relationship and are its main support”. For this reason, both governments will continue to “work for the welfare of these populations”, according to the published joint document.

In line with this traditional good relationship, the countries clarify that “a few days before the 201st anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, the Republic of Argentina and the Republic of Colombia ratify the importance of maintaining good relations and maintain their will to strengthen the ties that unite both countries.”