Donald Trump has unleashed a barrage of retaliatory measures towards Colombia, together with 25 p.c tariffs on its items, after the Latin American nation refused entry to US army flights deporting migrants.
Trump lashed out after Colombia’s leftist President Gustavo Petro refused to obtain the US airplane in protest on the manner passengers on board had been handled.
Trump mentioned in a publish on Truth Social on Sunday that Petro’s transfer had “jeopardized the nationwide safety and public security of the United States.”
In retaliation, he introduced emergency tariffs of 25% that may improve to 50% in every week, together with a journey ban and “instant visa revocation” on Colombian authorities officers “and all allies and supporters.”
“These measures are just the start,” Trump wrote in a publish on Truth Social. “We won’t permit the Colombian authorities to violate their authorized obligations concerning the acceptance and return of the criminals they pressured into the United States!”
Petro had beforehand written in a publish on X that deported migrants needs to be handled with “dignity and respect”.
“We will obtain our fellow residents on civilian planes, with out treating them like criminals.”
Colombia has already turned away US army planes carrying deportees this week, Petro mentioned on Sunday.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio mentioned on Sunday that Petro had initially licensed the deportation flights solely to cancel them whereas they had been within the air.
“It is the duty of each nation to take again their residents who’re unlawfully current within the United States in a severe and expeditious method,” Rubio mentioned in an announcement. “As demonstrated by as we speak’s actions, we stay dedicated to ending unlawful immigration and supporting America’s border safety.”
Will Freeman, fellow for Latin American research on the Council on Foreign Relations, famous that Colombia sends practically a 3rd of its exports to the United States “so this emergency tariff and the risk to boost it additional is severe.”
“It reveals that wherever the Trump administration identifies the United States nonetheless has leverage, it can use it to the fullest to realize compliance with its mass deportation coverage.”
Trump has vowed to hold out the most important mass deportation of unlawful migrants in US historical past, prompting uncertainty amongst valued undocumented immigrants within the US and resistance from would-be companions within the area.
Petro’s announcement got here a day after the Brazilian authorities condemned as “degrading” using handcuffs on its residents aboard a deportation flight from the United States.
After the airplane made an unscheduled cease in Manaus on Friday because of technical issues, Brasilia mentioned it prevented the flight from persevering with to its vacation spot of Belo Horizonte because of the cuffs, the “poor situation” of the plane and the “anger” 88 Brazilian residents for his or her “undignified remedy”.
Brazil’s Justice Minister acknowledged that there had been “flagrant disrespect for the elemental rights of Brazilian residents”.
Although Colombia and the United States have lengthy been shut allies – with Washington offering round $10 billion in army and international support to Bogotá as a part of its Colombia plan geared toward preventing insurgents and drug traffickers between 1999 and 2016 – Trump and Petro are ideologically opposed.
In 2020, Trump referred to Petro, a former left-wing guerrilla, as “a giant loser.” Petro spoke out strongly towards the warfare whereas main the United States, and cocaine manufacturing in Colombia soared below his presidency.
In one other publish on X on Sunday, Petro known as for “a unprecedented assembly of Latin American presidents to look at migration points and the brand new configuration of the drug market in America.”
“It is essential that Petro and plenty of Latin American leaders present resistance to this migration coverage,” mentioned Sergio Guzmán, director of Colombia Risk Analysis, a Bogotá-based consultancy. “Petro is attempting to point out power and venture an ideological distinction with Trump.”
The move of migrants north by the Darién Gap, a treacherous stretch of jungle separating Colombia and Panama, has fallen over the previous yr, as has the variety of unlawful crossings into the United States.
Last yr, 302,000 migrants crossed the Darién Gap, down greater than 40% in 2023, in response to Panama’s Foreign Ministry, following a crackdown by Panamanian authorities on the route that’s managed by prison smuggling teams .
But many migrants have used authorized routes opened by the Biden administration to cross into the United States, and international migrant numbers are nonetheless close to latest report highs.
Mexico is negotiating with the United States on immigration and medicines to attempt to keep away from a 25 p.c tariff on its exports to the United States from subsequent week.
Mexico’s Foreign Ministry mentioned Friday it might at all times welcome Mexicans with open arms, after NBC News reported they refused to renew a army flight of migrants.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confused that though she doesn’t agree with the deportations, Mexico will cooperate with the United States and have a “good” relationship with the Trump administration.
Tom Homan, Trump’s border tsar, instructed ABC News on Sunday that if host international locations refuse to obtain migrants, “then we are going to put them in a protected third nation.”
