Latest news with #JohnMcNamara
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
US, Colombia recall top diplomats as rift deepens
The United States and Colombia called home their respective envoys on Thursday in an apparent acceleration of worsening ties, against the backdrop of an alleged plot against Colombia's leftist leader. Washington went first, recalling its charge d'affaires John McNamara "following baseless and reprehensible statements from the highest levels of the Government of Colombia," State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said, without giving specifics. In addition to McNamara's recall, Bruce said the United States "is pursuing other measures to make clear our deep concern over the current state of our bilateral relationship." She did not detail the actions. Within hours, Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced he was calling home his top diplomat in Washington in response. Ambassador Daniel Garcia Pena "must come to inform us of the development of the bilateral agenda," Petro wrote on X, such as tapping South America's "great potential for clean energy" and the fight against "drug lords and their international finances." The diplomatic spat came on the heels of the resignation of Colombia's foreign minister earlier Thursday -- the latest top-ranking official to exit Petro's government. "In recent days, decisions have been made that I do not agree with and that, out of personal integrity and institutional respect, I cannot support," Laura Sarabia, who was also Petro's former chief of staff, wrote on X. - Plot investigation - Colombia was until recently one of the United States's closest partners in Latin America. But ties have sharply deteriorated. Colombian prosecutors opened an investigation this week into an alleged plot to overthrow Petro with the help of Colombian and American politicians, following the publication by the Spanish daily El Pais of recordings implicating former foreign minister Alvaro Leyva. "This is nothing more than a conspiracy with drug traffickers and apparently, the Colombian and American extreme right," Petro said on Monday. During a speech in Bogota on Thursday, Petro said he did not think US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, whom he had previously linked to the alleged overthrow attempt, was "in the midst of a coup d'etat" against his government. "I don't believe that a government that has Iran as its enemy and nuclear weapons pointed at it... is going to start fooling around with a coup d'etat" in Colombia, he said. In late January, the United States briefly suspended consular services to retaliate for Petro's refusal to allow US military planes to return Colombian migrants to their homeland. Petro accused the United States of treating the migrants like criminals, placing them in shackles and handcuffs. The pair issued threats and counter threats of crippling trade tariffs of up to 50 percent. A backroom diplomatic deal involving the deployment of Colombian Air Force planes to collect the migrants averted a looming trade war at the eleventh hour. Colombia's leftist government also recently refused a US request to extradite two prominent guerrilla leaders wanted by Washington for drug trafficking. als-lb/jgc/acb
Bloomberg
2 days ago
- Politics
- Bloomberg
US Recalls Top Colombia Diplomat as Once-Warm Relations Sour
US-Colombia relations took a turn for the worse Thursday with both sides recalling their top envoys and the South American country's foreign relations minister quitting unexpectedly. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called Chargé d'Affaires John McNamara back to Washington for urgent consultations, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said Thursday. She cited 'baseless and reprehensible statements' from the highest levels of the Colombian government, without elaborating on what these were.
LBCI
2 days ago
- Politics
- LBCI
US recalls top diplomat in Colombia for 'urgent consultations'
The United States recalled its top diplomat in Colombia on Thursday for "urgent consultations" amid "deep concern" over the relationship between the two countries. Charge d'affaires John McNamara was being recalled "following baseless and reprehensible statements from the highest levels of the Government of Colombia," State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said in a statement, without specifying what the offending remarks were. AFP
France 24
2 days ago
- Politics
- France 24
US, Colombia recall top diplomats as rift deepens
Washington went first, recalling its charge d'affaires John McNamara "following baseless and reprehensible statements from the highest levels of the Government of Colombia," State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said, without giving specifics. In addition to McNamara's recall, Bruce said the United States "is pursuing other measures to make clear our deep concern over the current state of our bilateral relationship." She did not detail the actions. Within hours, Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced he was calling home his top diplomat in Washington in response. Ambassador Daniel Garcia Pena "must come to inform us of the development of the bilateral agenda," Petro wrote on X, such as tapping South America's "great potential for clean energy" and the fight against "drug lords and their international finances." The diplomatic spat came on the heels of the resignation of Colombia's foreign minister earlier Thursday -- the latest top-ranking official to exit Petro's government. "In recent days, decisions have been made that I do not agree with and that, out of personal integrity and institutional respect, I cannot support," Laura Sarabia, Petro's former chief of staff, wrote on X. Plot investigation Colombia was until recently one of the United States's closest partners in Latin America. But ties have sharply deteriorated. Colombian prosecutors opened an investigation this week into an alleged plot to overthrow Petro with the help of Colombian and American politicians, following the publication by the Spanish daily El Pais of recordings implicating former foreign minister Alvaro Leyva. "This is nothing more than a conspiracy with drug traffickers and apparently, the Colombian and American extreme right," Petro said on Monday. In late January, the United States briefly suspended consular services to retaliate for Petro's refusal to allow US military planes to return Colombian migrants to their homeland. Petro accused the United States of treating the migrants like criminals, placing them in shackles and handcuffs. The pair issued threats and counter threats of crippling trade tariffs of up to 50 percent. A backroom diplomatic deal involving the deployment of Colombian Air Force planes to collect the migrants averted a looming trade war at the eleventh hour. Colombia's leftist government also recently refused a US request to extradite two prominent guerrilla leaders wanted by Washington for drug trafficking.
Int'l Business Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Int'l Business Times
US, Colombia Recall Top Diplomats As Rift Deepens
The United States and Colombia called home their respective envoys on Thursday in an apparent acceleration of worsening ties, against the backdrop of an alleged plot against Colombia's leftist leader. Washington went first, recalling its charge d'affaires John McNamara "following baseless and reprehensible statements from the highest levels of the Government of Colombia," State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said, without giving specifics. In addition to McNamara's recall, Bruce said the United States "is pursuing other measures to make clear our deep concern over the current state of our bilateral relationship." She did not detail the actions. Within hours, Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced he was calling home his top diplomat in Washington in response. Ambassador Daniel Garcia Pena "must come to inform us of the development of the bilateral agenda," Petro wrote on X, such as tapping South America's "great potential for clean energy" and the fight against "drug lords and their international finances." The diplomatic spat came on the heels of the resignation of Colombia's foreign minister earlier Thursday -- the latest top-ranking official to exit Petro's government. "In recent days, decisions have been made that I do not agree with and that, out of personal integrity and institutional respect, I cannot support," Laura Sarabia, Petro's former chief of staff, wrote on X. Colombia was until recently one of the United States's closest partners in Latin America. But ties have sharply deteriorated. Colombian prosecutors opened an investigation this week into an alleged plot to overthrow Petro with the help of Colombian and American politicians, following the publication by the Spanish daily El Pais of recordings implicating former foreign minister Alvaro Leyva. "This is nothing more than a conspiracy with drug traffickers and apparently, the Colombian and American extreme right," Petro said on Monday. In late January, the United States briefly suspended consular services to retaliate for Petro's refusal to allow US military planes to return Colombian migrants to their homeland. Petro accused the United States of treating the migrants like criminals, placing them in shackles and handcuffs. The pair issued threats and counter threats of crippling trade tariffs of up to 50 percent. A backroom diplomatic deal involving the deployment of Colombian Air Force planes to collect the migrants averted a looming trade war at the eleventh hour. Colombia's leftist government also recently refused a US request to extradite two prominent guerrilla leaders wanted by Washington for drug trafficking.
