Ex-President of Colombia, veteran of war on terrorism, extends full support to India

Bogota, May 30 (IANS) Cesar Augusto Gaviria Trujillo, the former President of Colombia, a veteran of the fight against terrorism from extremists and cartels, has extended full support to India’s fight against terrorism.

Gaviria “extended full support to India in fight against terrorism”, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, India’s former Ambassador to Washington, who is accompanying the delegation of Indian parliamentarians to the South American nation said in an X post after they met him early Friday (India time).

The delegation “had a good interactive meeting” with Gaviria, Sandhu said.

Gaviria is a leader of the Colombia Liberal Party, which is the largest party in the Congress of Colombia, which follows a Presidential system of government.

During his tenure as President, Gaviria took on drug cartels, some with cross-border operations, and political extremists who launched terrorist attacks against his government, taking a toll on civilians also.

The delegation is on a mission to convey India’s message of zero tolerance for terrorism after Operation Sindoor that targetted the centres of terrorism in Pakistan and the areas of Kashmir it occupies, from where the massacre of 26 people in Pahalgam by the Lashkar-e-Taiba-affiliated 'The Resistance Front' emanated.

The Indian delegation led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor arrived in Bogota from Panama on Thursday, after having covered New York and Guyana. It will continue to Brazil, before going to Washington next week.

The team also “interacted with Colombian journalists and media personalities from leading media houses” conveying “India’s firm resolve to fight terrorism and its zero-tolerance policy towards global terrorism”, Tharoor said on X.

Over the next two days, the delegation will engage with Colombian lawmakers, ministers, policy think tanks, and media representatives to highlight India's zero-tolerance approach to terrorism and to further deepen bilateral cooperation.

Reflecting on the previous leg of their mission in Panama, Tharoor remarked, “Our trip ended with a spectacular reception hosted by Ambassador [Sumit] Seth for the diplomatic corps and influential Panamanian personalities”.

“The Foreign Minister [of Panama, Javier Eduardo Martínez-Acha Vasquez] spoke, as did his Vice-Minister, Carlos Hoyos, in strong sympathy for India, expressing support for our fight against terrorism and for enhancing the close cooperation between our two countries”, Tharoor added.

Martinez-Acha also expressed Panama’s support for India getting a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.

Earlier at a meeting with the delegation, Panama’s President Jose Raul Mulino Quintero “expressed his understanding and support for India's fight against terrorism”, Tharoor said on X

Reflecting India’s united stand against terrorism, the team represents country's political and geographic diversity.

Besides Tharoor, the team that includes Shambhavi of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), Sarfaraz Ahmad of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, and Milind Murli Deora of the Shiv Sena as welll as Shashank Mani Tripathi, Bhubaneswar Kalita, and Tejasvi Surya of the BJP, and GM Harish Balayogi of the Telugu Desam Party, a National Democratic Alliance partner.

--IANS

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