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Donald Trump imposes sanctions as Colombia rejects deportation push
Donald Trump also declared that visas for Colombian government officials and "supporters" of President Gustavo Petro would be revoked immediately.
US President Donald Trump on Sunday announced sweeping tariffs and sanctions against Colombia in response to its refusal to accept deportation flights, intensifying his immigration crackdown and pushing back against defiance from Latin America, AFP reported.
Trump revealed plans to impose tariffs of 25% on Colombian goods, which would increase to 50% within a week.
While his authority to enforce such measures remains unclear—given Colombia's free-trade agreement with the US—the move signals a shift in relations with one of Washington's historically close allies in Latin America.
Additionally, Trump declared that visas for Colombian government officials and "supporters" of President Gustavo Petro would be revoked immediately. He also announced stricter scrutiny for Colombians at US airports.
“These measures are just the beginning,” Trump stated on Truth Social. “We will not allow the Colombian Government to violate its legal obligations with regard to the acceptance and return of the Criminals they forced into the United States.”
What Colombian President Petro said
Trump, who took office pledging to deport foreigners unlawfully residing in the U.S., has faced pushback from Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022 as Colombia's first left-wing president.
Earlier on Sunday, Petro announced that his government would refuse to accept flights carrying migrants deported from the US unless the Trump administration establishes a protocol to treat them with “dignity.” Petro shared the decision in two X posts, one of which featured a news video showing migrants reportedly deported to Brazil being escorted on a tarmac with their hands and feet restrained.
“The United States cannot treat Colombian migrants as criminals. I forbid entry to our territory to US planes carrying Colombian migrants,” Petro wrote on X.
In a subsequent post, he claimed to have “turned back US military planes.” Trump also confirmed that two U.S. planes were denied landing rights.
The Colombian government stated it was willing to send its presidential plane to the US to transport migrants "with dignity" whose flights were blocked by Bogota. Petro also expressed willingness to allow civilian US flights carrying deported migrants, provided those on board are not treated "like criminals."
Petro later revealed that over 15,600 undocumented Americans were living in Colombia and urged them to "regularize their situation," while ruling out raids to detain and deport them.
This development comes just days before Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to embark on his first trip as the top U.S. diplomat to Latin America. However, Rubio's itinerary excludes Colombia and Mexico, with the latter being critical of using military planes for deportations.
(With inputs from AFP, AP)
