Ex-Colombian President Andres Pastrana has on Sunday reprimanded the government of President Juan Manuel Santos for putting personal and political ambition before the country’s foreign policy.
Referring to the International Court of Justice’s November 2012 ruling which granted the sea surrounding Colombian island San Andres to Nicaragua, Pastrana warned in an open letter to Santos, that Colombia’s foreign policy is “subject to personal ambitions and political interests and is putting the country in a position of weakness against enemies and rivals.”
BACKGROUND: ICJ ruling on maritime border blow for Colombia fishermen
Pastrana indicated that Santos’s government is regarded as “responsible” for the loss of Colombian territory and declared that the defense of this failure has been dictated by the coming 2014 elections. Thus, Pastrana claims, the Santos government’s approach to foreign policy is “particularly irresponsible and dangerous for the national interest.”
Over the weekend, Vice President Angelino Garzon called on former President Andres Pastrana and Alvaro Uribe to “share a coffee” with President Santos to discuss their political differences after recent vocal criticism from the former leaders.
Sources
- Andres Pastrana’s Letter
- Nueva carta de Pastrana al presidente Santos (Caracol Radio)
