By Deutsche Welle (World News) | Created at 2025-01-27 03:35:51 | Updated at 2025-01-27 16:54:05
13 hours ago
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Sunday announced that US President Donald Trump would not go forward with tariffs and some sanctions against Colombia, after the South American country agreed to take in illegal migrants from the US, including on US military aircraft.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump said he was ordering punitive tariffs and travel bans on Colombia, among other retaliatory steps.
The measures had included imposing 25% tariffs on all Colombian goods coming into the United States, which will go up to 50% in one week; a travel ban and visa revocations on Colombian government officials; and emergency treasury, banking and financial sanctions.
The move was triggered by Colombia refusing landing permission for at least two US deportation flights.
"These measures are just the beginning," Trump had written on his social media platform Truth Social. "We will not allow the Colombian Government to violate its legal obligations with regard to the acceptance and return of the Criminals they forced into the United States."
US military aircraft deport migrants from Texas
Migrants need to be treated with 'dignity' — Colombian president
Earlier on Sunday, Colombian President Gustavo Petro said that flights carrying migrants deported from the US would not be accepted until the Trump administration established protocols that treated people with "dignity."
"A migrant is not a criminal and must be treated with the dignity that a human being deserves," Petro said. "That is why I returned the US military planes that were carrying Colombian migrants."
Petro added that his country would receive Colombians arriving on civilian aircraft and "without treatment like criminals."
Later, Colombia offered to send a presidential plane "to facilitate the humane return of Colombian nationals."
Petro criticized Trump in a defiant post on X, saying "your blockade doesn't scare me." Petro threatened 50% tariffs on US goods after Trump's earlier trade announcements in regards to the South American country.
Colombia then said it would go forward with a 25% tariffs on US goods, after Petro's threat.
US to suspend issuing visas for Colombians
Following Petro's refusal to accept the flights, US Secretary Rubio promptly ordered the suspension of visa issuance at the US Embassy's consular section in Bogota.
Rubio is issuing "travel sanctions on individuals and their families, who were responsible for the interference of US repatriation flight operations," the US Department of State said in a statement, adding that it "will continue to enforce and prioritize an America First agenda."
The statement also says measures will remain in place until Colombia fulfills its obligation to accept the return of its citizens.
Mike Johnson, the Republican speaker of the US House of Representatives, said the Congress is ready to enact sanctions on those that fail to "accept their citizens who are illegally in the United States."
"President Trump is putting America first, just like he said he would. And Congress will implement policies that reinforce his agenda," Johnson wrote on X.
New York congresswoman of the Democratic Party Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, on the other hand, criticized Trump's move to impose retaliatory tariffs on Colombia.
"Trump is all about making inflation worse for working class Americans, not better," she posted on X. Colombia is a major exporter of coffee, meaning breakfast might get a little more expensive for some Americans due to Trump's tariffs.
Flights landing in Guatemala, Honduras
Among a raft of Trump's campaign promises was to crack down on those entering the US illegally.
Two Air Force C-17 cargo planes carrying migrants removed from the US touched down early on Friday in Guatemala.
On the same day, Honduras received two deportation flights carrying a total of 193 people.
According to figures from the advocacy group Witness at the Border, Colombia accepted 475 deportation flights from the United States from 2020 to 2024, fifth behind Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and El Salvador.
It accepted 124 deportation flights in 2024.
Asylum-seekers fear tighter US border policy, deportations
Honduras calls on 'urgent' CELAC meeting
In the wake of the deportation row, Honduran President Xiomara Castro on Sunday called for an "urgent" meeting of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) in the coming week.
According to a statement from the Honduran government, Petro already confirmed his participation in person in Tegucigalpa.
The meeting will take place as Rubio is expected to travel to Central America — his first trip abroad as the top US diplomat.
kb/dj (dpa, AFP, Reuters)
