Diplomatic relations between Colombia and Hungary are facing a critical test. Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella, who will take office on August 7, has announced far-reaching austerity and restructuring measures in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that will also have a direct impact on Central Europe. The Colombian Embassy in Budapest is set to close after eight years of continuous presence. Civil society is now mobilizing in opposition to this move.
A total of 14 countries worldwide—including three on the European continent—are affected by the cuts imposed by the South American oil power, which has a population of 50 million. According to the plans, Colombia will withdraw completely from Hungary, as well as from Romania and the Czech Republic.
The newly elected president provided a broad range of justifications for this far-reaching change, which vary depending on the region. While he offered ideological grounds for the withdrawal from Latin America—emphasizing that the Colombian government does not maintain diplomatic relations with “tyrannies” such as Cuba and Nicaragua—in Europe, purely fiscal arguments take center stage.
Abelardo de la Espriella justified the closure of the embassy in Budapest with the need for greater frugality in the use of public funds.
“We cannot maintain such a costly structure that does not yield tangible results for the country,” the president stated on his social media page. Colombia needs a diplomatic approach that is modern and efficient and serves national interests, rather than “political favoritism and bureaucracy.”
Abelardo de la Espriella. Photo: Wikipedia
The measures are part of an “optimization process.” However, this does not constitute a complete break in diplomatic relations with the affected countries. The protection of Colombian citizens will be guaranteed in the future through a system of co-accreditation by other embassies in the region, the politician added.
In Budapest, the news has caused considerable consternation. As Világgazdaság reports, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, led by Anita Orbán, was completely taken by surprise by the plans.
The Hungarian ministry confirmed to the news portal that it had received no prior indication from Bogotá and had only learned of the move through the press.
According to the news portal, the Hungarian TISZA government has no immediate plans to close its own embassy in Bogotá in retaliation. Nevertheless, bilateral relations have suffered a serious blow. Hungary established official diplomatic relations with Colombia in 1973. After the Hungarian mission was reopened in 2017 by Péter Szijjártó, then foreign minister from FIDESZ, the Colombian embassy in Budapest followed suit in 2018—an era that is now coming to an abrupt end. An exact date for the closure has not yet been officially set.
Protests are now mounting against the plans. The Colombian community in Hungary and Central Europe/the Balkans announced in a statement that it has launched a citizen-led initiative, which will be officially presented on August 6.
In a petition that has already been signed by more than 300 verified citizens of the region, President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella is urged to reconsider the decision.
The signatories emphasize that the embassy and its attached consular section in Budapest provide indispensable services to residents, students, researchers, and families. The official consular district extends far beyond Hungary and also includes Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, and Montenegro. Although only about 250 Colombians are officially registered in Hungary, the mission serves an estimated 600 to 1,200 Colombian nationals throughout Central Europe and the Western Balkans.
Particular emphasis is placed on the embassy’s role for academics, for example through the Stipendium Hungaricum program, one of the most important educational partnerships between the two countries. In addition to everyday, essential services such as passport renewals, notarial matters, and document legalizations, the mission played a key role in providing emergency assistance, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Based on the statement, closing the mission in Budapest would force citizens to travel to distant embassies in other European countries for simple administrative procedures
which would result in significant financial, logistical, and administrative burdens for those affected.
The initiative, which continues to gather online support and physical signature lists, calls on the Colombian government to explore alternative cost-saving measures in order to protect the partnerships in culture and education that have been built up over more than five decades. The embassy in Budapest must not be abandoned, as it serves as an indispensable strategic bridge between Colombia and Central Europe.
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Via vg.hu; Featured photo: Pexels
