Colombia expels Argentine diplomats after Milei called Petro a “terrorist murderer”

The Colombian government ordered the expulsion of diplomats from the Argentine embassy, ​​after the president of that country, Javier Milei, called his counterpart Gustavo Petro a “terrorist murderer.”

The Colombian Foreign Ministry announced the decision in response to the allegations that Milei made in an interview with the American channel CNN.

“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 Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

“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,” the statement said.

In an interview with journalist Andrés Oppenheimer, Milei attacked the governments of Venezuela and Cuba and then criticized Petro.

“The carnage that is Venezuela is truly unheard of (sic), the same as the prison island of Cuba. Then there are other cases (…), such as the case of Colombia With Mr. Petro, let’s say… well, not much can be expected from someone who was a terrorist, communist murderer,” he said.

History of offenses

The statement from the Colombian Foreign Ministry indicated that Milei expressed himself “in a denigrating manner” towards Petro.

“It is not the first time that Mr. Milei offends the Colombian President, affecting the historical relations of brotherhood between Colombia and Argentina“, he reiterated.

The Colombian ambassador in Buenos Aires, Camilo Romerowarned on his X account, formerly Twitter, that “on the two previous occasions the Colombian president has preferred to downplay those offenses”, but this time “the Colombian Government is exploring all measures.”

Last January, Colombia recalled its ambassador to Argentina in response to similar comments by Milei against Petro, a former guerrilla who in August 2022 was elected the first left-wing president in the history of the South American country.

Asked about the criticism of the Mexican president, Andrés Manuel López Obradorwho said that Argentina had made a “own goal” With the election of Milei, the Argentine president responded: “That an ignorant person like López Obrador speaks badly of me exalts me.”

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