BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — The United States and Colombia, longtime close counter-drug partners, clashed Sunday over migrant deportations and what the countries could face if the Trump administration intervenes. imposed tariffs on each other’s products to show that Government crackdown on illegal immigration.
President Donald Trump and President Gustavo Petro defended their views on immigration in a series of social media posts, with the latter accusing Trump of failing to treat immigrants with dignity during deportations and banning American products. announced that Colombia would increase retaliatory tariffs by 25%.
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Earlier, the US president imposed visa restrictions, imposed a 25% tariff on all Colombian imports (scheduled to rise to 50% within a week) and refused to allow two US military planes carrying migrants to fly to Colombia. It also ordered other retaliatory measures stemming from Peter’s decision.
President Trump said the step was necessary because Petro’s decision “endangers” U.S. national security.
“These steps are just the beginning,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social. “We will not allow the Colombian government to violate its legal obligations regarding the admission and return of criminals forcibly brought to the United States.”
Late Sunday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced he was approving visa restrictions for Colombian government officials and their families “responsible for disrupting U.S. repatriation flight operations.” These were imposed in addition to the State Department’s move to suspend visa processing at the U.S. Embassy in Colombia’s capital, Bogotá.
Rubio said the restrictions would remain in place “until Colombia fulfills its obligation to accept the return of its citizens.”
Earlier in the day, Petro said that until the Trump administration creates a protocol to treat immigrants expelled from the United States with “dignity,” the government will not accept planes carrying them. Petro made the announcement in two X posts, one of which included a news video of migrants reportedly being deported to Brazil walking across a tarmac with their hands and feet bound.
“Migrants must be treated with the dignity they deserve as human beings, not criminals,” Petro said. “That’s why I returned U.S. military planes carrying Colombian immigrants… so civilian planes could welcome our fellow citizens without being treated like criminals.”
After President Trump’s announcement, Petro said in a post on X: “I have ordered the Minister of Foreign Affairs to increase tariffs on imports from the United States by 25%.”
Colombia has traditionally been the United States’ largest ally in Latin America. But relations between the two countries have been strained since Petro, a former guerrilla, became Colombia’s first leftist president in 2022 and sought distance from the United States.
Colombia received 475 deportation flights from the United States between 2020 and 2024, ranking it fifth behind Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and El Salvador, according to Witness at the Border, an advocacy group that tracks flight data. It became. In 2024, it accepted 124 deportation flights.
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Last year, Colombia was among the countries that began accepting U.S.-funded deportation flights from Panama.
The U.S. government did not immediately respond to The Associated Press’ request for comment on the aircraft and procedures used for deportations to Colombia.
“This is a clear message we are sending that countries have an obligation to accept repatriation flights,” a senior administration official told The Associated Press. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.
Mr. Rubio said in a statement that while the plane was in flight, Mr. Petro “revoked permission” to fly.
Colombians have emerged as a major presence on the U.S.-Mexico border in recent years, thanks in part to a visa system that allows them to easily fly into Mexico and avoid the dangerous trek through the Darien Valley. It has become. In the 12 months ending in September, there were 127,604 arrests for illegal entry, ranking fourth after Mexicans, Guatemalans and Venezuelans.
Mexico does not impose the same visa restrictions on Colombians as it does on Venezuelans, Ecuadorians, and Peruvians.
Petro’s government later said in a statement that the South American country’s presidential plane had been made available to expedite the return and guarantee “dignified conditions” for the migrants, who were scheduled to arrive hours earlier on a U.S. military plane. Announced.
As part of a series of actions aimed at fulfilling President Trump’s campaign promise to crack down on illegal immigration, the government is deploying active-duty military personnel to help with border security and deportations.
Two U.S. Air Force C-17 cargo planes carrying migrants deported from the United States landed in Guatemala early Friday. On the same day, Honduras received two deportation flights carrying a total of 193 people.
In announcing what he called “urgent and decisive retaliatory action,” President Trump said he was ordering tariffs and “travel bans and immediate visa cancellations” on Colombian government officials, allies and supporters.
Trump wrote that “all members, family members, and supporters of the Colombian government” would be subject to “visa sanctions.” He did not say which party he was referring to or provide additional details regarding visas or travel restrictions.
President Trump added that all Colombians will be subject to increased customs inspections.
President Trump’s actions appear to undermine his goal of reducing his country’s trade deficit. Unlike Mexico and China, Colombia is one of the few countries with a trade deficit with the United States of about $1.4 billion, according to U.S. trade data.
Colombia is the nation’s second-largest buyer of corn and corn feed, and last year accounted for more than $733 million in U.S. commodity exports from agricultural belt states such as Iowa, Indiana and Nebraska, according to the U.S. Grains Council. contributed to pushing it up.
The U.S. export boom has been driven by a 20-year free trade agreement between the two countries, long-standing partners in the drug war. It is unclear whether President Trump’s tariffs will be upheld under the deal, which includes a dispute mechanism to resolve trade tensions.
Colombia is the United States’ fourth largest supplier of foreign crude oil, shipping about 209,000 barrels a day last year, but a rapid increase in domestic production has reduced the United States’ dependence on foreign oil. This South American country is also the largest supplier of fresh and cut flowers in the United States.
Regina Garcia Cano reported from Caracas, Venezuela. Jill Colvin in New York, Joshua Goodman in Miami and Elliot Spagat in San Diego contributed to this report.
