The United States and Colombia pulled back from the brink of a trade war on Sunday after the White House said Colombians had agreed to accept military planes carrying deported migrants.
U.S. President Donald Trump, in his sweeping immigration crackdown, threatened tariffs and sanctions against Colombia for previously refusing to accept military flights carrying decoutes.
But in a statement later Sunday, the White House said Colombia had agreed to accept the migrants and that Washington would not impose its threatened penalties.
“The Colombian government has agreed to all of President Trump’s conditions, including the unrestricted acceptance of all illegal aliens from Colombia returning from the United States, including on U.S. military aircraft,” it said.
“Today’s events make it clear to the world that America is once again respected.”
Colombian Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo said late Sunday that the country had “overcome the impasse with the U.S. government.”
“We continue to receive Colombians who come back as exiles,” he said. His statement did not specifically say that the deal included military flights, but did not contradict the White House announcement.
The Colombian statement added that Murillo and Colombia’s US ambassador will travel to Washington in the coming days to follow up on the agreement leading to the exchange of diplomatic bonds between the two governments.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who had previously said he would only take back civilians “with dignity” such as civilian planes, turned back two U.S. military aircraft along with his own Colombians.
The US president responded fiercely, posting that there were “numerous illegal criminals” on the flight. He accused “Colombia’s socialist president Gustavo Petro” of endangering U.S. national security and public safety, and called for “the following urgent and decisive actions,” including doubling the U.S. tariffs on Colombia to 50%. He directed his own administration to take retaliatory measures. Bans and visa cancellations for Colombian government officials “and all allies and supporters.” And he stepped up screening of all Colombian nationals and cargo entering the United States for what he called “national security arenas.”
In response, Petro ordered an increase in import duties on goods from the United States. “I have ordered the Minister of Foreign Trade to increase import duties from the United States by 25%,” Petro said.
“American products whose prices rise within the national economy must be replaced with national production, and the government can help in this regard,” the Post continued. The United States is Colombia’s largest trading partner, with exports including crude oil, coffee, and cut flowers.
The back-and-forth between the two leaders illustrates growing tensions between Latin American governments and Washington over U.S. deportation flights. Mexico reportedly rejected a similar flight on Saturday, according to U.S. officials cited by Reuters and NBC News.
Colombia’s president posted: “Migrants are not criminals and must be treated with the dignity that all human beings deserve.
“That’s why I ordered the return of the US military plane carrying Colombian migrants,” Petro wrote, sharing a video of Brazilian decoties flying out of the US on Friday, shackled at the wrists and ankles.
He added: But if the country brings them back, it must be with dignity and respect, both for them and our country. We welcome our fellow citizens on commercial flights and without treating them like criminals. Colombia deserves respect. ”
Trump’s Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, issued a statement saying, “Colombian President Petro approved the flight, provided all necessary approvals, and canceled his approval while the plane was in the air.
“President Trump has made it clear that under his administration, America will no longer be lied to or taken advantage of.”
The flight carrying 88 deported Brazilians to Brazil did not trigger the first diplomatic clash between Trump’s new administration and Brazil’s leftist president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. landed on.
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The flight, which left Alexandria, Louisiana, on Friday was destined for Belo Horizonte in southeastern Brazil. But technical issues made unscheduled stops in Panama and Manaus in northern Brazil.
U.S. authorities reportedly attempted to continue the journey, but the Brazilian government intervened and sent an Air Force aircraft to complete the final leg without handcuffs or leg irons. The exiles arrived in Belo Horizonte around 9pm on Saturday.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that it would submit a formal “request for clarification” to the U.S. government over the “degrading treatment” involving six children.
Deportation flights have been underway since the first Trump administration signed an agreement with Brazil in 2017. Last year alone, 17 flights were expelled from Alexandria to Belo Horizonte.
However, the Brazilian government maintains that the use of handcuffs and leg irons “violates the terms of the agreement with the United States.
Deporti told Brazilian media upon arrival that they had been assaulted and threatened by US agents during the flight.
A Department of Homeland Security memo obtained by The New York Times reveals that the Trump administration is rolling out a series of tough new measures to expedite deportations. The directive strips Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers of the power to fast-track relief.
Officials from the U.S. State Department, Pentagon, U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The use of U.S. military aircraft to carry out deportation flights is part of the Pentagon’s response to Trump’s declaration of a national emergency on immigration regarding his inauguration.
In the past, US military aircraft have been used to relocate individuals from one country to another during the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan.
According to U.S. officials, this was the first time in recent memory that U.S. military aircraft were used to fly migrants out of the country.
Reported by Reuters and Agence France-Presse
