Following a tense standoff between the nations’ respective presidents, an settlement was reached on Sunday evening relating to the return of repatriating residents to Colombia from the US.
Battle ensued earlier within the day after Colombian President Gustavo Petro blocked two U.S. army flights carrying undocumented immigrants from coming into the nation.
In a retaliatory response, U.S. President Donald Trump posted threats in opposition to Colombia on his social media platform, alleging that Petro’s resolution “has jeopardized the Nationwide Safety and Public Security of the US.”
Trump stated within the submit that he ordered his administration to put an emergency 25% tariff on items coming into the US from Colombia, and he threatened to lift it in per week to 50%. Moreover, he stated that his administration would difficulty a journey ban and instantly revoke the visas of Colombian authorities officers — and people of the entire nation’s allies and supporters. Trump additional threatened to difficulty visa sanctions on all get together members, relations and supporters of the Colombian authorities. Lastly, he stated that he would additionally improve Customs and Border Safety Inspections of all Colombian nationals and Colombian cargo.
Trump stated he would use the Worldwide Emergency Financial Powers Act to totally impose the aforementioned treasury, banking and monetary sanctions.
This mixture of images created on January 26, 2025 reveals President Donald Trump in Las Vegas, Nev.,Jan. 25, 2025, and Colombian President Gustavo Petro in Bogota, Might 31, 2024.
Mandel Ngan/Raul Arboleda/AFP by way of Getty Photos
“These measures are only the start,” Trump stated in his submit. “We is not going to enable the Colombian Authorities to violate its authorized obligations with regard to the acceptance and return of the Criminals they compelled into the US!” No proof has been produced to indicate that Colombia compelled anybody into the U.S.
The Colombia Overseas Ministry confirmed to ABC Information that two U.S. army plane had been blocked from touchdown in Colombia on Sunday. It was not instantly clear if all 160 passengers aboard the flights have been Colombian residents.
“A migrant is just not a legal and should be handled with the dignity that each human being deserves,” Petro stated in an announcement posted on X on Sunday. It included a video of Brazilian deportees handcuffed after touchdown in Brazil.
The Overseas Ministry of Brazil additionally issued an announcement Sunday asking the US to make clear the “degrading therapy” of the deportees.
Petro had issued an early-morning assertion on X saying that he objected to U.S. army repatriation planes touchdown in Colombia — though, the nation would settle for civilian planes repatriating residents, he added.
However a U.S. protection official instructed ABC Information that the 2 U.S. Air Power C-17 transport plane had been granted diplomatic clearances. Then, when the planes have been already heading south, Colombia notified the U.S. that they’d not be allowed to land, the protection official stated.
In an announcement posted on X on Sunday afternoon, Petro provided to ship his presidential aircraft to convey deportees to Colombia in a “dignified” method.
Mexico has additionally denied U.S. army repatriation flights from touchdown there, a U.S. official conversant in the scenario instructed ABC Information, whereas explaining that such flights are usually not being ready till in any case diplomatic clearances have been finalized.
Like Colombia, Mexico doesn’t have an issue with contracted civilian plane finishing up the flights, the official stated, and people are what the Division of Homeland Safety sometimes makes use of.
Discussions are ongoing, the official added.
In an interview on Sunday with Martha Raddatz — ABC Information’ chief international affairs correspondent and a co-anchor of “This Week” — Trump’s “border czar,” Tom Homan, mentioned what would occur to nations that will not take the undocumented immigrants again.
“Oh, they’re going to take them again,” Homan stated. “We obtained President Trump coming to energy. President Trump places America first. Mexico did not need the ‘Stay in Mexico’ program underneath the primary administration. They did it. They did not need to put army on the southern border. They did it.”
But when nations did not comply, “then we’ll place them in a 3rd secure nation,” he added.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted a assertion on X on Sunday afternoon, saying, “President Trump has made it clear that underneath his administration, America will not be lied to nor taken benefit of.”
“It’s the duty of every nation to take again their residents who’re illegally current in the US in a severe and expeditious method,” Rubio wrote. “Colombian President Petro had licensed flights and offered all wanted authorizations after which canceled his authorization when the planes have been within the air. As demonstrated by as we speak’s actions, we’re unwavering in our dedication to finish unlawful immigration and bolster America’s border safety.”
Later within the night, the U.S. Division of State added a submit saying that Rubio “instantly ordered a suspension of visa issuance on the U.S. Embassy Bogota consular part” and is now “authorizing journey sanctions on people and their households, who have been answerable for the interference of U.S. repatriation flight operations.”
Tariffs are a tax on imports that U.S. firms pay to import their items, and the upper prices are largely handed on to shoppers.
Trump leveraging a tariff of 25% to 50% might have a severe affect on Colombia’s economic system as a result of the U.S. is Colombia’s largest buying and selling companion. In response to the U.S. State Division, the US accounts for 34% of Colombia’s complete commerce.
However that might additionally harm American shoppers: The U.S. imported $17.5 billion {dollars}’ value of products from Colombia in 2024, in response to Moody’s Analytics.
Notably, Colombia is a high provider of crude oil to the U.S.
Petro responded to Trump’s threatened sanctions late Sunday, saying in a submit on X that Colombia will impose reciprocal 50% tariffs on U.S. items.
“I am instructed that you simply impose a 50% tariff on the fruits of our human labor to enter the US, and I do the identical,” Petro stated within the impassioned submit.
Later that night, U.S. Home Speaker Mike Johnson threatened in a submit on X that Congress is “absolutely ready” to go sanctions and “different measures” in opposition to Colombia.
The White Home issued an announcement shortly after 10 p.m. on Sunday saying that Colombia had agreed to all of Trump’s phrases, “together with the unrestricted acceptance of all unlawful aliens from Colombia returned from the US, together with on U.S. army plane, with out limitation or delay.”
The assertion additionally stated that the Worldwide Emergency Financial Powers Act that Trump had drafted wouldn’t go into impact except Colombia did not honor the settlement with the U.S.
“The visa sanctions issued by the State Division and enhanced inspections from Customs and Border Safety will stay in impact till the primary planeload of Colombian deportees is efficiently returned,” it stated.
Colombian Minister of Overseas Affairs Luis Gilberto Murillo Urrutia acknowledged the assertion shortly afterward in a video posted to X, stating that Colombia would settle for repatriates who’re transported again with dignity. He additionally confirmed that Petro could be sending his presidential aircraft to retrieve these residents who had been on the rebuffed army planes, however did not specify when that might happen.
The international affairs minister stated {that a} high-level diplomatic assembly between the U.S. and Colombia would happen in a matter of days.
“Colombia ratifies that it’s going to keep diplomatic channels of dialogue to ensure the rights, nationwide curiosity and dignity of our residents,” he stated within the video.
ABC Information’ Luis Martinez, Selina Wang, Hannah Demissie and Nate Luna contributed to this report.
