Following a strong stance by former President Donald Trump, Colombian President Gustavo Petro reversed his decision to refuse deportation flights from the United States. Petro's initial refusal prompted Trump to threaten tariffs and other penalties, leading to a swift change of heart from the Colombian leader.
The White House confirmed Petro's agreement to accept all Colombian citizens illegally present in the U.S. back into Colombia, including transport via U.S. military aircraft. While the prepared sanctions and tariffs are currently on hold, they remain a possibility if Colombia doesn't uphold the agreement. Visa sanctions and heightened inspections by Customs and Border Protection will persist until the first deportation flight is successfully completed.
Initially, Petro offered his presidential aircraft for the repatriation, emphasizing a "dignified return" for the migrants. This followed Trump's disclosure to Fox News about Petro's reversal after the tariff threat.
The conflict began when the U.S. attempted to send two flights of Colombian nationals back to their country as part of Trump's deportation initiative. Petro rejected these flights, arguing against treating Colombian migrants as criminals and demanding a protocol for dignified treatment. Trump responded with a threat of escalating tariffs, starting at 25% on all Colombian goods entering the U.S., rising to 50% within a week. Further measures included a travel ban and visa revocations for Colombian government officials and their associates.
Trump's initial announcement of the situation on Truth Social highlighted the potential national security and public safety risks posed by Petro's refusal. Secretary of State Marco Rubio promptly implemented visa restrictions, while Customs and Border Protection increased inspections and enforced the travel ban. Petro retaliated with his own tariff threats against U.S. goods, escalating to 50%.
Speaker Mike Johnson affirmed Congress's readiness to support Trump's America First agenda with sanctions and other measures against countries that don't cooperate with U.S. immigration policies.
