US Recalls Top Colombia Diplomat As Once-Warm Relations Sour

(MENAFN- Live Mint) (Bloomberg) -- The US recalled its top diplomat to Colombia in the latest sign that Washington's strongest alliance in Latin America has badly soured.

Shortly after, Colombian President Gustavo Petro recalled his ambassador to the US. This came hours after the South American nation's foreign affairs minister quit, apparently over unrelated matters.

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.

Since the US doesn't currently have an ambassador to Bogota, McNamara is the most senior US official in the country.

In addition to the recall, the US is also“pursuing other measures to make clear our deep concern over the current state of our bilateral relationship,” Bruce said.“Despite policy differences with the current government, Colombia remains an essential strategic partner.”

Colombia has historically been Washington's most reliable ally in Latin America, receiving more than $10 billion in US aid this century. But relations between the leftist leader Petro and President Donald Trump quickly went south. The US leader came close to crashing the Andean nation's economy earlier this year, threatening a 50% tariff in a dispute over deported migrants.

Earlier this week, El País newspaper reported that former Foreign Minister Álvaro Leyva met with advisers close to the Trump administration in the US to seek their support for a plan to oust Petro. It is unclear if McNamara's recall is related to these claims.

A press official for the US Embassy in Colombia declined to comment.

Colombia's Foreign Minister Laura Sarabia resigned on Thursday morning, the latest in a series of high-profile defections to shake Petro's government. She had overseen the efforts to patch up Bogota's relationship with Washington.

Local media reported that Sarabia fell out with her former mentor after Petro refused to let her extend a contract with the current printer of passports.

McNamara, an army veteran and career diplomat, was appointed Chargé d'Affaires at the US Embassy in Bogotá on Feb. 1, 2025. Over two decades of service had taken him across Latin America, the Caribbean, and war zones in Iraq and Afghanistan.

--With assistance from Andreina Itriago and Andrea Jaramillo.

(Adds in second paragraph that Colombia recalled its ambassador)

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