United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on Thursday for “urgent” consultations the head of the Washington Diplomatic Mission in Colombia, John McNamara. The measure was taken after complaints from Colombian President Gustavo Petro about an alleged American support to a plan to get him out of power.
“The Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, summoned John T. McNamara, in charge of interim business of the United States embassy in Colombia, for urgent consultations in Washington after unfounded and rebuke statements from the highest spheres of the Colombian government,” the US Department said in a brief statement.
The government of US President Donald Trump has also clarified that he will adopt “other measures to make clear his profound concern about the current state” of the bilateral relationship with Bogota. In addition, he insisted that “despite political differences with the current government, Colombia remains an essential strategic partner” for the US.
“We are committed to close cooperation in a series of shared priorities, including regional security and stability, and we continue to participate in efforts that improve the lives of both Americans and Colombians,” the note concludes.
Petro reported on Wednesday the existence of a coup against him and an alleged conspiracy of his former chancer Álvaro Leyva. According to the newspaper “El País” reported over the weekend, Leyva would have contacted Trump’s Republican Politicians – from the US to allegedly overthrow the leftist president.
According to this alleged plan, Leyva, an 82-year-old conservative who had public disagreements with his former collaborator, met two months ago in the US with Republican Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart. Then he would have tried to meet the legislator Carlos Giménez, both Republican representatives by Florida.
With the meeting, the former Diplomat would have sought to approach Secretary Rubio and exercise “international pressure” against Petro to put the vice president, Francia Márquez, in his place.
Both Díaz-Balart and Giménez denied the accusations and classified them as “inventions.”
See also:
- Petro generates new diplomatic friction with US by accusing republicans of supporting blow
- Senator Baleado’s lawyer denounces Petro for “hate speeches”
