Trump announces retaliatory measures after Colombia blocks military deportations from us
Donald Trump said on Sunday he would take sweeping retaliatory measures against Colombia, including tariffs and visa sanctions after the country refused to take part in two U.S. military deportation flights.
“These measures are just the beginning. We will not allow the Colombian government to violate its legal obligations regarding the acceptance and return of criminals forced into the United States!” Trump wrote in a Truth Society post.
Officials at the Department of Homeland Security and Defense Department confirmed to NBC News that the flight was denied.
Defense officials told NBC News that the flights, which were carried aboard a U.S. military C-17 aircraft, carried about 80 Colombian immigrants each and departed from California.
In response, Trump announced a campaign of retaliatory measures against Colombia, including tariffs on Colombian imports, visa sanctions on government officials and allies, stepped-up customs inspections and financial fines, as the U.S. accused Colombia of violating its obligations to accept deportations. obligations.
Trump responded by writing: “(President Gustavo) Petro denies that these flights endanger the national security and public safety of the United States.”
He added that tariffs on Colombian imports will start at 25% on all goods but will increase to 50% within a week.
The retaliatory measures also include “travel bans and immediate visa revocations for Colombian government officials, as well as all allies and supporters,” Trump wrote, “and visa sanctions for all party members, family members, family members and supporters “
According to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, the total estimated value of trade in goods and services between the United States and Colombia in 2022 totals approximately $53.5 billion, with the value of exports slightly higher than the value of imports.
And, according to the Bureau of Industry and Security, the top U.S. imports from Colombia in recent years have been petroleum and minerals, lime and cement, totaling more than 40 percent of imports, and agricultural supplies, totaling as much as 26 percent of imports.
The flights were initially cleared after Colombian President Gustavo Petro suddenly revoked all diplomatic clearance for the planes, the official said.
Petro's office wrote in a later statement that the flights were not stopped because he did not want to facilitate the return of Colombians to his country, but because the government was prioritizing “dignified conditions” for migrants.
“The Colombian government, under the leadership of President Gustavo Petro, has arranged for the presidential aircraft to facilitate the dignified return of Colombian nationals who arrived in the country this morning from deportations,” the statement said. flights.”
The statement added: “This measure responds to the government's commitment to guarantee dignified conditions. Colombians who are in no way patriots and subjects of rights will be expelled from Colombian soil.”
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It comes after Mexico last week temporarily blocked two U.S. planes carrying 80 passengers each from landing, derailing deportation plans and stoking tensions. Although the issue was later resolved, Mexican officials expressed opposition to unilateral U.S. action around immigration policy.
In a statement shared on X, Petro criticized the use of military aircraft for deportations.
“Immigration is not criminal and should be treated with the dignity that human beings deserve,” he wrote. “We will receive nationals on civilian aircraft without treating them as criminals. Colombia must be respected.”
The Brazilian government condemned the degrading treatment of its nationals on Friday's repatriation flight over the ice, citing the use of handcuffs, cracked air conditioning systems and other violations of bilateral agreements to ensure humane treatment.
Guatemala expelled its nationals from three U.S. flights on Friday, two of which were military aircraft, according to the Guatemalan Institute for Migration.
The flights are part of the Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigration, which was launched via executive order during Trump's first week in office. In addition to the deportation efforts, the administration has deployed an additional 1,500 troops to the U.S.-Mexico border to step up enforcement.