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The USA and Colombia, lengthy shut companions in anti-narcotics efforts, clashed Sunday over the deportation of migrants and imposed tariffs on one another’s items in a present of what international locations may face in the event that they intervene within the Trump administration’s crackdown on unlawful immigration.
Presidents Donald Trump and Gustavo Petro, in a sequence of social media posts, defended their views on migration, with the latter accusing Trump of not treating immigrants with dignity throughout deportation and saying a retaliatory 25% improve in Colombian tariffs on U.S. items.
Earlier, the U.S. president had ordered visa restrictions, 25% tariffs on all Colombian incoming items, which might be raised to 50% in a single week, and different retaliatory measures sparked by Petro’s resolution to reject two Colombia-bound U.S. army plane carrying migrants.
Trump stated the measures have been mandatory as a result of Petro’s resolution “jeopardized” nationwide safety within the U.S.
“These measures are just the start,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Reality Social. “We won’t enable the Colombian Authorities to violate its authorized obligations with regard to the acceptance and return of the Criminals they pressured into the USA.”
Earlier Sunday, Petro stated his authorities wouldn’t settle for flights carrying migrants deported from the U.S. till the Trump administration creates a protocol that treats them with “dignity.” Petro made the announcement in two X posts, certainly one of which included a information video of migrants reportedly deported to Brazil strolling on a tarmac with restraints on their fingers and ft.
“A migrant isn’t a prison and should be handled with the dignity {that a} human being deserves,” Petro stated. “That’s the reason I returned the U.S. army planes that have been carrying Colombian migrants… In civilian planes, with out being handled like criminals, we’ll obtain our fellow residents.”
After Trump’s announcement, Petro stated in a submit on X that he had ordered the “overseas commerce minister to boost import tariffs from the U.S. by 25%.”
Colombia has historically been the U.S.’s high ally in Latin America. However their relationship has strained since Petro, a former guerrilla, grew to become Colombia’s first leftist president in 2022 and sought distance from the U.S.
Colombia accepted 475 deportation flights from the U.S. from 2020 to 2024, fifth behind Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and El Salvador, in accordance with Witness on the Border, an advocacy group that tracks flight information. It accepted 124 deportation flights in 2024.
Colombia can also be among the many international locations that final 12 months started accepting U.S.-funded deportation flights from Panama.
The U.S. authorities did not instantly reply to a request for remark from The Related Press concerning plane and protocols utilized in deportations to Colombia.
“It is a clear message we’re sending that international locations have an obligation to just accept repatriation flights,” a senior administration official instructed AP. The official spoke on the situation of anonymity as a result of they weren’t approved to debate concern publicly.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a press release stated Petro “canceled his authorization” for the flights when the plane have been within the air.
No official order had been issued as of Sunday afternoon that will enable for the implementation of the measures Trump introduced.
A State Division spokesperson confirmed to AP the company suspended processing visas on the U.S. Embassy in Colombia’s capital, Bogota, “in direct response to President Petro’s resolution to not settle for repatriation flights of Colombian residents.”
Colombians emerged in recent times as a significant presence on the U.S. border with Mexico, aided partially by a visa regime that permits them to simply fly to Mexico and keep away from trekking although the treacherous Darien Hole. They ranked fourth with 127,604 arrests for unlawful crossings throughout a 12-month interval by September, behind Mexicans, Guatemalans and Venezuelans.
Mexico hasn’t imposed visa restrictions on Colombians, as they’ve on Venezuelans, Ecuadoreans and Peruvians.
Petro’s authorities in a press release later introduced that the South American nation’s presidential plane had been made out there to facilitate the return of migrants who have been to reach hours earlier on the U.S. army airplanes and assure them “dignified situations.”
As a part of a flurry of actions to make good on Trump’s marketing campaign guarantees to crack down on unlawful immigration, his authorities is utilizing active-duty army to assist safe the border and perform deportations.
Two U.S. Air Drive C-17 cargo planes carrying migrants faraway from the U.S. touched down early Friday in Guatemala. That very same day, Honduras obtained two deportation flights carrying a complete of 193 folks.
In saying what he known as “pressing and decisive retaliatory measures,” Trump defined that he ordered the tariffs and “A Journey Ban and quick Visa Revocations” on Colombian authorities officers, allies and supporters.
“All Social gathering Members, Household Members, and Supporters of the Colombian Authorities,” Trump wrote might be topic to “Visa Sanctions.” He didn’t say to which celebration he was referring to or present any further particulars on the visa and journey restrictions.
Trump added that every one Colombians will face enhanced customs inspections.
Trump’s actions would appear to undercut his objective to scale back his nation’s commerce deficit. Not like Mexico or China, Colombia is likely one of the few international locations with a commerce deficit with the U.S., of round $1.4 billion, in accordance with U.S. commerce information.
Colombia is the U.S.’s second greatest purchaser of corn and corn feed, in accordance with the U.S. grains council, serving to enhance U.S. commodity exports from farm belt states like Iowa, Indiana and Nebraska to greater than $733 million final 12 months.
The U.S. export increase has been pushed by a two-decade-old free commerce settlement between the 2 international locations, which have for lengthy been shut companions within the battle on medication. It’s unclear if Trump’s tariffs are allowed below the settlement, which incorporates a dispute mechanism to resolve commerce fights.
Colombia is the U.S.’s fourth-largest abroad provider of crude oil, delivery about 209,000 barrels of oil per day final 12 months, though booming home manufacturing has lowered the U.S.’ dependence on overseas oil. The South American nation can also be the U.S.’s largest provider of contemporary reduce flowers.
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Regina Garcia Cano reported from Caracas, Venezuela. Jill Colvin in New York, Joshua Goodman in Miami, and Elliot Spagat in San Diego contributed to this report.
