Colombian President Gustavo Petro offered to ferry deportees back to his country using his personal presidential aircraft in a Sunday statement- after denying two American deportation flights permission to land at the nation's capital of Bogota on Saturday.
Petro had demanded that Colombian illegal aliens facing deportation from the United States not be treated as "criminals," demanding that the US treat the deportees in a "dignified manner." Colombia appears to have earlier green-lit the deportation flights, before objecting to the use of military aircraft at the last minute.
President Trump didn't wait a full day before rolling a comprehensive set of punishments for Colombia's actions. International treaties between states require that parties accept the deportations of their citizens, although it had become common for nations such as Venezuela to try and refuse U.S. measures to deport their citizens during the administration of President Joe Biden.Los EEUU no pueden tratar como delincuentes a los migrantes Colombianos.
— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) January 26, 2025
Desautorizo la entrada de aviones norteamericanos con migrantes colombianos a nuestro territorio.
EEUU debe establecer un protocolo de tratamiento digno a los migrantes antes que los recibamos nosotros.
Trump announced that Colombia would immediately face a 25 percent tariff for the measure- a figure that would rise to 50 percent within a week. The president made the announcement via a Truth Social message published on Sunday.
Trump also announced visa sanctions targeting supporters of Petro's government, barring them from admission from the United States. Secretary of State Marco Rubio cancelled the outstanding visa appointments scheduled at the United States Embassy in Colombia.Los EEUU no pueden tratar como delincuentes a los migrantes Colombianos.
— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) January 26, 2025
Desautorizo la entrada de aviones norteamericanos con migrantes colombianos a nuestro territorio.
EEUU debe establecer un protocolo de tratamiento digno a los migrantes antes que los recibamos nosotros.
Petro appears to have backed down in response to the swift punishments- even going so far as to offer the use of his personal presidential plane to return Colombian nationals to their home country.
In a subsequent X message after the Sunday concessions, Petro claimed that he had never objected to deportation flights, instead merely objecting to the chaining of migrants on board military flights. The use of body chains in the transit of deportees is widespread practice, carred out to ensure the safety and security of all on board.It appears the Colombian president may now be backing down. He is offering his own presidential plane to be used for the deportations that were rejected this morning - saying he wants a “dignified” return of Colombian citizens. pic.twitter.com/zRsPgr7Hzh
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) January 26, 2025
"We have never refused to accept migrants and we have tried to stop migration. The stupid blockade of Venezuela was what triggered millions of migrants in the US. But do not demand that I accept deportees from the US, handcuffed and on military aircraft. We are not anyone's colony," Petro said in one translation of a Spanish tweet.
The remarkable turnaround- which took place in less than 24 hours- comes as the Trump administration works to rapidly increase the federal government's deportation capacities, with the use of C-17 military aircraft in deporting migrants representing a first in the history of American immigration enforcement.Nosotros nunca nos hemos negado a recibir migrantes y hemos procurado detener la migración. El estúpido bloqueo a Venezuela fue el que desencadenó millones de personas migrantes en los EEUU. Pero no me exijan recibir los deportados de EEUU, esposados y en avión militar.… https://t.co/9MJjKcXitR
— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) January 26, 2025
