Argentina foreign minister expresses regret after social leader denied entry to Colombia

Bala Chambers

LONDON - Argentine Foreign Minister Felipe Sola said Wednesday that he regrets a decision by Colombia to deny entry to social leader Juan Grabois to monitor protests.

Sola wrote on Twitter that he was sorry "that the Colombian immigration authorities have prevented the entry of the Argentine citizen" who was part of a "delegation of human rights observers."

Colombian authorities said Grabois arrived as part of a delegation but he verbally attacked an immigration officer and had passport irregularities.

"Due to the foreigner's lack of respect for the Officer, they proceeded to not authorize his entry into the national territory," authorities said in a statement.

But Grabois had a different story.

“After a series of physical attacks recorded by numerous witnesses and security cameras, the Colombian government expels me from its territory for considering me a ‘risk to State Security,’” Grabois said on Twitter.

Argentina has criticized Colombia following a social uprising there that began April 28 when unions, students and social organizations began protesting a tax reform bill they said

would widen inequality.

Colombia’s president later withdrew the bill but protests have continued.

On May 6. Argentine President Alberto Fernandez expressed concern about “institutional violence” and urged Colombia to safeguard human rights.

Colombia’s Foreign Affairs "firmly" rejected Fernandez's comments and said, “Colombians have had all the guarantees to exercise peaceful protest throughout the country.”

Foreign Minister Claudia Blum labeled Fernandez's comments "an interference that fuels polarisation.”

Rights groups have been closely monitoring the situation.

Human Rights Watch Executive Director Jose Miguel Vivanco said May 25 that the group "received credible reports of 61 deaths that have occurred in Colombia since the protests began."

"So far, we have confirmed that 24 of these deaths (22 protesters or bystanders and two police officers) are related to the demonstrations," he said on Twitter.