It has been learned that on July 8th, local time, Daniel Garcia, the Colombian Ambassador to the United States, returned to Washington and held a press conference to announce five points of cooperation aimed at repairing bilateral relations. On the same day, McNamara, the Acting Consul General of the U.S. Embassy in Colombia, also plans to return to Bogotá, with the U.S. expressing its desire to improve bilateral relations. This move comes just days after the mutual recall of ambassadors from each other’s countries triggered diplomatic crisis on July 3rd.
△ Colombian President Petro (Photo)
It is reported that last month, Colombian President Petro accused U.S. Secretary of State Rubio of participating in a right-wing alliance, intending to overthrow Colombia’s leftist government. Following this accusation, both countries recalled their diplomats for consultations.
△ Acting Consul General of the U.S. Embassy in Colombia, McNamara (Photo)
On July 3rd, the U.S. State Department announced the recall of the temporary consul general in Colombia, which was promptly reciprocated by Petro, who also announced the recall of his ambassador to the U.S., Daniel Garcia, and emphasized Colombia’s commitment to advancing bilateral agendas.
The Colombian Ambassador to the U.S. Denies U.S. Involvement in Overthrowing Colombian President
Daniel Garcia, the Colombian Ambassador to the U.S. (Photo)
Following his return to the U.S., Garcia made it clear that despite differences between Colombia and the U.S., Colombia will prioritize restoring diplomatic channels and maintaining open dialogue to promote bilateral relations. After consulting with President Petro, Colombia proposed engaging in five specific areas: drug trafficking and extradition, immigration, trade, alternative energy, and the Haitian crisis, denying any involvement by the U.S. in overthrowing Petro’s government.
U.S. Expresses Hope for Improved Bilateral Relations
On the same day, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kris Kristofferson expressed in a press conference his hope for improving relations with Colombia and establishing closer cooperative mechanisms. Later that evening, McNamara, the Acting Consul General of the U.S. Embassy in Colombia, also arrived in Bogotá.
(CCTV Zhao Miao, Deng Xuemei)