U.S. ambassador returns to Colombia to present concerns

The United States’ acting ambassador to Colombia, John T. McNamara, on Wednesday said he returned to his post in the South American country after he was recalled to Washington last week for urgent consultations. He arrived in the city of Medellín to present concerns about the Colombian government’s recent rhetoric and actions, which strained relations between the two countries, he said in an embassy statement. McNamara said he would relay specific steps that the Trump administration wanted Colombia to take, preventing further degradation of the relationship.

What’s the spat about? While McNamara didn’t specify what’s at issue, rumors have recently circulated in Colombia that a U.S. congressman was involved in plans to oust Colombian President Gustavo Petro, according to Colombia Reports. Colombia’s ambassador to the United States, Daniel Garcia-Peña, on Tuesday reiterated that the United States is not involved in a coup, the outlet reported. However, the Colombian government asked the U.S. House of Representatives’ ethics committee to investigate the matter, according to the outlet.

What else happened recently in Colombia? Authorities last week found the bodies of eight evangelical Christians who had been missing since April in a mass grave in the Calamar area. An armed group called Frente Primero killed them due to worries they were affiliated with a rival militant organization, according to El Colombiano.

The Evangelical Confederation of Colombia said the deceased were Christian leaders in a June 2 statement. It urged authorities to punish the crimes and guarantee the protection of spiritual leaders. The local Catholic diocese also released a statement condemning the crime and saying the leaders’ deaths were a severe blow to their communities.

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