Columbia expels Argentina's diplomats after President Milei calls counterpart Petro 'terrorist murderer'
Mar 29, 2024
Bogota [Columbia], March 29 : The Columbian government has ordered the expulsion of all Argentine diplomats from the country's embassy in Bogota following Argentina's President Javier Mile calling his Columbian counterpart a "terrorist murderer," CNN reported.
"The Argentine president's expressions have deteriorated the trust of our nation and offended the dignity of President (Gustavo) Petro, who was elected democratically," the Colombian Foreign Ministry said in a statement Wednesday.
Argentina President, Javier Milei during an interview with Andres Oppenheimer of CNN en Espanol and The Miami Herald made a harsh comment on the Columbian President Gustavo Petro, a former guerilla who became Colombia's first left-wing president following a 2022 election victory and said, "You can't expect much from someone who was a terrorist murderer."
Milei, a former television pundit with a reputation for bombast, also attacked Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador in the interview, calling him "ignorant."
Lopez Obrador, a left-wing populist, has previously criticized Milei's policies and compared him to a dictator. On Thursday, in a post on social media, Lopez Obrador hit back, wondering why Argentinians "voted for someone who is not right, who despises the people."
In the nearly hour-long interview, conducted in Buenos Aires, Milei also defended Israel's response to the October 7 Hamas terror attack, saying its war in Gaza is "within the rule of law."
"Israel was the target of a brutal attack, and this type of thing requires a response that sets the example. Israel is not committing any excess," Milei told CNN.
Milei, who was born Catholic but has expressed a wish to convert to Judaism, said that his meeting in February with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was one of the warmest he had held since entering office.
Milei also admitted he privately hopes former President Donald Trump wins the US election in November, but that he intends to be an ally with the United States regardless of who will be in the White House next year.
"Argentina's allies are the United States and Israel; it's not a secret my ideas are more akin to those of the Republican party, but we have an excellent relationship with the Democrats too," Milei told Oppenheimer.
