By Genevieve Glatsky, Simon Romero and Annie Correal
Under threats from President Donald Trump that included steep tariffs, President Gustavo Petro of Colombia has relented and will allow U.S. military planes to fly deportees into the country, after turning two transports back in response to what he called inhumane treatment.
The two leaders had engaged in a war of words Sunday after Colombia’s move to block Trump’s use of military aircraft in deporting thousands of immigrants living in the country illegally.
But Sunday night, the White House released a statement in which it said that because Petro had agreed to all of its terms, the tariffs and sanctions Trump had threatened would be “held in reserve.” Other penalties, such as visa sanctions, will remain in effect until the first planeload of deportees had arrived in Colombia, the statement said.
“Today’s events make clear to the world that America is respected again,” it added.
Colombia’s Foreign Ministry released a statement soon afterward that said “we have overcome the impasse with the United States government.” It said the government would accept all deportation flights and “guarantee dignified conditions” for those Colombians on board.
Petro began the day by announcing that he had turned back U.S. military planes carrying deported immigrants. This set off a furious back and forth with Trump, who in turn announced a barrage of tariffs and sanctions targeting the country, which has long been a top U.S. ally in Latin America.
Trump said on social media that the United States would immediately impose a 25% tariff on all Colombian imports and would raise them to 50% after a week. The Trump administration would also “fully impose” banking and financial sanctions on Colombia, apply a travel ban on Colombian government officials and their associates, and revoke their visas, the president said.
Petro hit back on social media. In one post, he announced retaliatory tariffs of 25% on U.S. imports to Colombia; in another, longer post, he said those tariffs would hit 50%.
Directly addressing Trump, Petro also questioned whether the U.S. president was trying to topple him.
“You don’t like our freedom, fine,” Petro said. “I do not shake hands with white enslavers.”
The clash reflected how Trump was ready to make an example out of Colombia as countries around the world grapple with how to prepare for the mass deportations of immigrants lacking permanent legal status that he has promised.
“This looks like a pretty bold and daring escalation on both sides,” said Will Freeman, a fellow for Latin America studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, citing Colombia’s economic reliance on the United States, which is still the South American country’s largest trading partner even as China has been making inroads.
“But equally, for Trump to threaten Colombia this way is pretty bold itself,” Freeman added. “That’s because Colombia remains historically the longest standing, the deepest, strategic ally in the region.”
Trump signed an executive order last week authorizing the U.S. military to assist in securing the border, and the Department of Defense said it would use military aircraft to deport people held in U.S. custody along the southern border.
Petro said Sunday in a series of social media posts that Colombia would not accept military deportation flights from the United States until the Trump administration provided a process to treat Colombian migrants with “dignity and respect.”
“I cannot make migrants stay in a country that does not want them,” Petro wrote, “but if that country sends them back, it should be with dignity and respect for them and for our country.”
He said he was still open to receiving deportees on nonmilitary flights.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement, “Colombian President Petro had authorized flights and provided all needed authorizations and then canceled his authorization when the planes were in the air.”
Petro’s office said the presidential plane would be made available to transport the migrants who had been scheduled to arrive on the military planes. Representatives for Colombia’s Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The immediate snag with the deportation flights appeared to be that U.S. military planes were transporting the migrants, a U.S. military official said Sunday.
The two U.S. aircraft that were denied the ability to land in Colombia were Air Force C-17 transport planes. One turned around and returned to San Diego; the other flew back to Texas.
Petro’s remarks came in response to a post about the treatment of Brazilian deportees. Brazil’s Foreign Ministry complained of “degrading treatment” of its citizens after 88 migrants arrived in the country handcuffed Friday and some complained of mistreatment after not being given water or allowed to use the bathroom during the flight.
Since taking office last Monday, Trump has issued a series of executive orders and made other moves aimed at laying the groundwork to deport an enormous number of migrants.
In his missive on social media, Trump called Petro, a former left-wing guerrilla, a “socialist,” a term that Petro has no problem in using to describe himself, and contended that Petro was “very unpopular.” Petro’s approval ratings stand at around 34%, as he has been weighed down by corruption scandals and a resurgence in fighting among armed groups.
To justify his measures targeting Colombia, Trump also claimed that the military deportation flights refused landing by Petro included a “large number of Illegal Criminals” and that the United States was seeking the “return of the Criminals they forced into the United States.”
The U.S. tariffs that Trump had threatened would deal a significant blow to Colombia’s economy. The United States is Colombia’s largest trading partner, with top Colombian exports to the U.S. market including crude oil, coffee and cut flowers.
Trade between the two countries totaled $53.5 billion in 2022, with the United States having a trade surplus of $3.9 billion that year. Colombia is the largest South American market for U.S. agricultural products, absorbing imports of American pork, dairy products, alcoholic beverages and dog and cat food.
Petro also cast attention on Americans living in Colombia, saying that more than 15,000 Americans were living in the country without authorization, and calling on them to “regularize” their immigration status.
Comments