Colombian authorities blocked US military planes trying to deport illegal Colombian immigrants to Colombia on Sunday, claiming the United States mistreated the deportees, angering the US government.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro has repeatedly claimed that the United States is treating deportees like criminals and therefore ordered that planes not enter Colombia.
“The United States cannot treat Colombian migrants as criminals. I refuse American planes carrying Colombian migrants to enter our territory. The United States must establish a protocol for the dignified treatment of migrants before we receive them.” statement He reads.
US President Donald Trump He responded With a range of retaliatory measures, including an emergency 25% tariff on all imported Colombian goods – to be raised to 50% in one week – as well as financial and visa sanctions, and travel bans on Colombian government officials and their family members and members of their household. Supporters.
In response to A Video report Petro said that the Brazilian government claimed that illegal immigrants who were deported to the Brazilian city of Manaus were subjected to inhumane treatment. He said“A migrant is not a criminal and should be treated with the dignity that a human being deserves. That is why I returned US military planes that were carrying Colombian migrants.” (RELATED: ‘There are other ways’: Homan says states that refuse to take back their illegal immigrants won’t slow Trump’s agenda)
The video report showed individuals who appeared to be handcuffed and had just gotten off the plane.
The immigrant is not a deviant and should be treated with the dignity he deserves.
That is why military aircraft are flown to areas with an influx of Colombian migrants.
I cannot make immigrants stay in a country they don’t want; Peru Sea Ice Bice… https://t.co/U1MmWrNio1
-Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) January 26, 2025
“I cannot allow migrants to stay in a country that does not want them; But if that country sends them back, it should be with dignity and respect for them and for our country. We will receive our citizens on civilian aircraft, without treating them as criminals. He added that Colombia is respected.
Trump said in response, in part: “These actions are just the beginning. We will not allow the Colombian government to violate its legal obligations regarding the admission and return of criminals it has forced into the United States!
About an hour after Trump announced sanctions and tariffs on Colombia, Petro’s office He said The Colombian government “arranged the presidential plane to facilitate the dignified return of its citizens who were scheduled to arrive in the country this morning from deportation flights.” She said she did so to show her “commitment to ensuring dignified conditions” for the deportees. She also said she was in talks with the US government to ensure that deportees receive “minimum conditions of respect and dignified treatment” while they are processed in the United States for deportation to Colombia.
Petro too repeatedly He said About 15,660 Americans were living illegally in Colombia. He called on them to regularize their status and said that he supports American citizens who want to live in Colombia.
“You will never see me burn an American flag or conduct a raid to bring restricted illegal immigrants back to the United States. True liberals will never attack human freedom. We are the opposite of Nazis.”
Deporting illegal immigrants with criminal records has received support from many Americans across party lines, according to a recent poll.
This story has been updated to include a statement from the office of Colombian President Gustavo Petro regarding the Colombian government’s new arrangements to return initially rejected deportees to Colombia using the country’s presidential plane.