This Sunday night, in a press release, the White House announced that the Colombian government accepted the terms set by President Donald Trump for the repatriation of migrants and, as a result, lifted the sanctions.
The Trump administration will suspend the planned tariffs and most of the sanctions, according to the statement.
On Sunday, the United States suspended visa issuance at its embassy in Bogotá as part of a series of drastic measures after Bogotá rejected military flights carrying deportees, said Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The measures will continue until Colombia fulfills its obligations to accept the return of its own citizens, Rubio stated in the announcement.
Announced Sanctions
On Sunday, President Donald Trump announced that he would impose high tariffs and other sanctions on Colombia after the country blocked the entry of military flights carrying deported migrants.
The rejection of these flights… has endangered national security and public safety in the United States, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform, listing 25% tariffs, travel restrictions, and an immediate visa revocation for Colombian government officials.
These measures are just the beginning. We will not allow the Colombian government to violate its legal obligations regarding the acceptance and return of criminals forced into the United States, Trump added on social media.
The Republican president also mentioned enhanced inspections at customs and borders for all Colombians and goods coming from that country for national security reasons, as well as banking and financial sanctions.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro prevented the entry of U.S. military aircraft carrying deported migrants into the country.
Deported migrants will only be received on civilian flights and if they are treated with respect, Petro stated. The president did not specify how many planes were scheduled to land in Colombia or how many people they carried.
A migrant is not a criminal and must be treated with the dignity that a human being deserves. That’s why I ordered the return of the U.S. military planes carrying Colombian migrants, Petro justified on platform X.
According to a message from the Colombian presidency to journalists, the government arranged the presidential plane to facilitate the dignified return of compatriots arriving in the country this morning from deportation flights.
Petro also stated that over 15,600 Americans living without the required documentation in Colombia must approach immigration authorities to regularize their status.
The Opposite of the Nazis
The incident marks the first clash between Petro and Trump, who took office on January 20 with promises of a hardline approach to irregular migration.
You will never see me burning an American flag or conducting a ‘ratzia’ (raid) to return undocumented migrants handcuffed to the U.S., Petro asserted.
True libertarians will never attack human freedom. We are the opposite of the Nazis, he added.
U.S. authorities did not immediately respond to the Colombian president’s statements, but Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, said in an interview on ABC’s This Week aired Sunday that migrants could be sent to a third country if their original destinations refused to accept the flights.
The United States is Colombia’s main trading partner, and its military forces have cooperated for decades in the fight against guerrillas and drug trafficking cartels.
Since Trump’s inauguration, the U.S. has deported irregular migrants to Guatemala and Brazil.
Flagrant Disregard
Trump’s threats to deport millions of immigrants put him at odds with Latin American governments, from which most of the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States originate.
Brazil expressed its outrage on Saturday over the treatment meted out to dozens of Brazilian immigrants deported to its country on Friday by the Trump administration.
The Brazilian immigrants, deported under a bilateral agreement prior to Trump’s return to the White House, were handcuffed on the flight, which Brazil called a flagrant disregard for their fundamental rights.
Several Latin American countries have pledged to welcome their nationals back, many of whom have been living and working in the United States for years.
The Mexican government announced plans to open nine shelters for its citizens and three more for deported foreigners under a program called Mexico Embraces You.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum stated that her government would provide humanitarian assistance to deported migrants before repatriating them to their home countries.
Honduras, which also has a significant number of its nationals as migrants in the United States, announced it would launch a program for deportees called Brother Come Home, which includes financial aid, food, and access to employment opportunities.
