Shashi Tharoor Returns from Diplomatic Mission to Latin America and USA

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has returned to Delhi after successfully concluding a diplomatic mission that included visits to five Latin American nations and the United States. This initiative aimed to garner international support for India's stance on cross-border terrorism, particularly in light of the terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22, which resulted in the deaths of 26 tourists. Tharoor led a group of seven all-party delegations during this mission.

 

Upon his return, Tharoor expressed satisfaction with the meetings held in Panama, Guyana, Colombia, Brazil, and the USA. He remarked, "I believe this was a very fruitful trip. We are all pleased with the warm reception we received in the five countries we visited. We felt that we achieved positive outcomes everywhere, with high-quality meetings involving presidents, prime ministers, vice presidents, and senior negotiators." Tharoor noted that the international community fully understood India's response to the Pahalgam attack and acknowledged the restraint shown by New Delhi in its military operations.

 

He highlighted that many of the officials they spoke with expressed particular respect for the restraint demonstrated in India's response. Tharoor stated, "We emerged from this situation quite well." He also pointed out a significant success during the delegation's stop in Colombia, where the South American nation initially issued a statement expressing condolences for Pakistani casualties without fully grasping the context of Operation Sindoor, which targeted terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

 

Tharoor added, "A positive aspect in Colombia was that we managed to compel them to reconsider their stance, perhaps without adequate reflection. After we explained everything, they retracted their statement." Following this, the acting foreign minister acknowledged their support for India's position during a media interaction. Tharoor emphasized that the government's objective in sending MPs was to demonstrate India's unity beyond political boundaries and to convey an effective message to government officials, legislators, think tanks, opinion makers, and the media, as well as the diaspora where appropriate. He concluded, "We accomplished our mission well, and I would say we are returning home quite tired but very happy."