Colombia accepts to accept deported immigrants after tariff confrontation with Trump

Bogotá, Colombia (AP) – The White House claimed its victory in a confrontation with Colombia for the acceptance of deported migrants flights from the United States, hours after President Donald Trump threatened with strong tariffs to imports and other sanctions to the old American partner.

The United States and Colombia, nearby partners for a long time in anti -narcotics efforts, faced Sunday for the deportation of migrants and tariffs were imposed on the goods of each in a sample of what other countries could face if they intervene in the offensive of the Trump administration against illegal immigration. The White House highlighted the episode as a warning to other nations that could try to prevent their plans.

Previously, the president of the United States had ordered visa restrictions, 25% tariff Americans to Colombia transported immigrants.

Trump said the measures were necessary because Petro’s decision “put national security in the US at risk.”

“These measures are only the beginning,” Trump wrote on his social network social networks. “We will not allow the Colombian government to violate its legal obligations regarding the acceptance and return of criminals that forced the United States to enter.”

Later on Sunday, the United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, announced that he authorized visa restrictions to officials of the Colombian government and their families “who were responsible for the interference in the operations of repatriation flights of the United States.” In addition to the measure of the State Department to suspend visa processing at the United States Embassy in Bogotá, the capital of Colombia.

The restrictions will continue, said Rubio, “until Colombia fulfills its obligations to accept the return of their own citizens.”

Earlier that same day, Petro said that his government would not accept flights that transport deported migrants from the United States until the Trump administration creates a protocol that treats them with “dignity.” Petro made the announcement in two X publications, one of which included a news video of migrants allegedly deported to Brazil walking on a track with restrictions on hands and feet.

“A migrant is not a criminal and must be treated with the dignity that a human being deserves,” said Petro. “That is why I returned the US military planes that transported Colombian migrants … in civil planes, without being treated as criminals, we will receive our fellow citizens.”

After Trump’s announcement, Petro said in an X publication that he had ordered the “Minister of Foreign Trade to increase import tariffs from the United States by 25%.”

Colombia has traditionally been the main ally of the United States in Latin America. But his relationship has been tensioned since Petro, a former guerrilla, became the first leftist president of Colombia in 2022 and sought to distance himself from the United States.

Colombia accepted 475 deportation flights from the United States between 2020 and 2024, fifth behind Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and El Salvador, according to Witness At the Border, a defense group that tracks flight data. He accepted 124 deportation flights in 2024.

Colombia is also among the countries that last year began accepting deportation flights from Panama financed by the United States.

The United States government did not immediately respond to a request for comments from The Associated Press on aircraft and protocols used in deportations to Colombia.

“This is a clear message that we are sending that countries have the obligation to accept repatriation flights,” a senior administration official told the AP. The official spoke about anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the issue publicly.

Rubio in a statement said Petro “canceled his authorization” for flights when the planes were in the air.

Colombians emerged in recent years as an important presence on the United States border with Mexico, partially helped by a visa regime that allows them to easily fly to Mexico and avoid walking through the treacherous plug of the Darién. They occupied the fourth place with 127,604 arrests for illegal crosses for a period of 12 months until September, behind Mexicans, Guatemalans and Venezuelans.

Mexico has not imposed visa restrictions on Colombians, as it has done with Venezuelans, Ecuadorians and Peruvians.

The Petro government later announced in a statement that the presidential plane of the South American country had been made available to facilitate the return of migrants who had to arrive hours before in US military planes and guarantee them “decent conditions.”

As part of a series of actions to fulfill Trump’s campaign promises to end illegal immigration, his government is using active duty military to help ensure the border and carry out deportations.

Two C-17 load aircraft of the United States Air Force that transported migrants expelled from the United States landed early Friday in Guatemala. That same day, Honduras received two deportation flights that transported a total of 193 people.

In announcing what he called “urgent and decisive retaliation measures,” Trump explained that he ordered tariffs and “a prohibition of traveling and immediate visas” to officials, allies and supporters of the Colombian government.

“All party members, relatives and supporters of the Colombian government,” Trump wrote, will be subject to “visa sanctions.” He did not say what part he referred or provided additional details about visa and travel restrictions.

Trump added that all Colombians will face improved customs inspections.

Trump’s actions would seem to undermine their goal of reducing the commercial deficit of their country. Unlike Mexico or China, Colombia is one of the few countries with a commercial deficit with the United States, around 1.4 billion dollars, according to commercial data in the United States.

Colombia is the second largest corn buyer and corn feed in the United States, according to the United States Grain Council, which helped boost US raw materials exports from agricultural states such as Iowa, Indiana and Nebraska to more than 733 million of dollars last year.

The rise of US exports has been promoted by a free trade agreement of two decades between the two countries, which for a long time have been close partners in the war on drugs. It is not clear if Trump tariffs are allowed according to the agreement, which contains a dispute mechanism to resolve commercial disputes.

Colombia is the fourth largest foreign oil supplier in the United States, sending around 209,000 barrels of oil per day last year, although the rise of internal production has reduced the United States dependence on foreign oil. The South American country is also the largest supplier of fresh -cut flowers in the United States.