Diplomatic Clarification Prompts Colombian President to Change Content of His Posts Regarding Yemen

Yemen Monitor / Newsroom:

Colombian President Gustavo Petro caused widespread controversy over the past few days after publishing two posts related to Yemen, one of which prompted diplomatic intervention from the internationally recognized Yemeni government.

Initially, Petro re-shared a tweet from the Middle East Spectator website that included a statement attributed to “the Yemeni President” welcoming Colombia’s pro-Palestinian stance, describing it as a “courageous and historic decision.” The post included photos of both the Colombian President and the head of the Houthi Supreme Political Council, Mehdi al-Mashat. Petro commented on this: “Thank you to the President of the Republic of Yemen.”

The post quickly led the Yemeni government to issue an official memorandum to the Colombian Embassy in Cuba, emphasizing that the legitimate president is the Chairman of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad Al-Alimi, and asserting that the account the Colombian President relied upon in his post was fake and unverified. The Yemeni Ambassador in Havana also explained that he met with his Colombian counterpart to correct the confusion.

Later, the Colombian president published a modified image showing him being saluted by Yemeni demonstrators waving Palestinian flags during marches in support of Gaza, which once again triggered wide interaction on social media platforms.

It is worth noting that Petro is considered one of the most prominent Latin American leaders supporting the Palestinian cause, having taken unprecedented steps against Israel, including expelling its diplomatic mission from Bogotá and suspending the Free Trade Agreement signed between the two countries.