(American Political Report)—On Thursday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that he brought back John T. McNamara, the temporary head of the U.S. Embassy in Bogotá, Colombia, to Washington. Rubio said this was because of “baseless and reprehensible statements” made by top Colombian officials.
The State Department explained in a statement that McNamara was called back for urgent talks about these “baseless and reprehensible statements from the highest levels of the Government of Colombia.”
The statement also said, “In addition to the recall of the Chargé, the United States is pursuing other measures to make clear our deep concern over the current state of our bilateral relationship.” It added, “Despite policy differences with the current government, Colombia remains an essential strategic partner,” and that the U.S. is committed to working together on issues like regional security and improving life for both Americans and Colombians.
No specific details were shared about why McNamara was recalled, but this move follows comments by Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who claimed “right-wing extremists” were trying to overthrow him.
In May, the Associated Press reported that Petro’s former foreign minister, Alvaro Leyva, called Petro a drug “addict” for the second time in three weeks. Leyva also posted a seven-page letter on X, saying Petro should resign because he is “dependent on substances that affect emotional and mental equilibrium.”
Petro, who was elected in 2022 and has one year left as president, denied these claims in a speech in Bogotá. He called himself a “revolutionary” who will not be “enslaved” by drugs. Earlier, on April 22, Leyva had accused Petro of drug use in another letter, saying Petro “went missing” for a few days during a state visit to Paris because of it. Petro said he was just visiting family in France.
The U.S. and Colombia have had some tensions. In March, they agreed to use biometric technology to manage migration and fight crime. This came after a disagreement between President Donald Trump and Petro about how Colombian migrants were treated during deportations from the U.S.
In January, the U.S. sent two flights of undocumented Colombians back to Colombia, but Petro rejected them, saying the U.S. cannot “treat Colombian migrants as criminals.” He asked for better treatment of migrants before Colombia would accept them.
Trump responded by threatening a 25% tax on all Colombian goods entering the U.S., which would increase to 50% after a week. He also ordered a travel ban and canceled visas for Colombian officials and their supporters. Eventually, the two countries reached an agreement, and deportations continued, though Petro has encouraged Colombian migrants to return home.
