“Petro’s denial of these flights threatened the national security and public safety of the United States, so I have directed my administration to immediately take the following urgent and decisive retaliatory measures: Emergency 25% tariffs on all goods entering the United States. In a week, the 25% rate will increase to 50%. Travel ban and immediate cancellation of visas for representatives of the Colombian government and all allies and supporters,” an angry Trump responded on the TruthSocial social network in response to the move by Colombian President Gustavo Petro.
“Visa sanctions for all party members, family members and supporters of the Colombian government. Strengthened customs controls and border protection inspections of all Colombian nationals and cargo for reasons of national security,” Trump continued, adding that banking and financial sanctions would also be imposed.
“These measures are just the beginning. We will not allow the Colombian government to violate its legal obligations regarding the reception and return of the criminals it forced to leave for the United States!” he added threateningly.
Colombia backed down, will send its own special to the USA
After Trump’s harsh reaction, Colombia will finally send a government special to the United States for the purpose of deporting migrants, according to AFP, the Colombian presidential office said.
I was just informed that two repatriation flights from the United States, with a large number of illegal criminals, were not allowed to land in Colombia. This order was given by Colombia’s Socialist President Gustavo Petro, who is already very unpopular among his people.…
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) January 26, 2025
“Migrants are not criminals and they should be treated with the dignity that a human being deserves,” said President Petro earlier. “That’s why I turned around the American military planes that were flying in with Colombian migrants,” the president said, without specifying when this step took place or how many deportation flights were involved.
Un migrante no es un delincuente y debe ser tratado con la dignidad que un ser humano merece.
Por eso hice devolver los aviones militares estudiantes que venenian con migrantes colombianos.
No puedo hacer que los migrants queden en un país que no los quiere; pero si ese país… https://t.co/U1MmWrNio1
— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) January 26, 2025
“I cannot ensure that migrants can stay in a country that does not want them, but when this country returns them, it must do so with dignity and respect for them and our country. We will accept our fellow citizens on civilian planes and without treating them like criminals,” said Petro.
The complaint in this connection came already on Saturday from Brazil, where, according to local media, the Americans transported dozens of deported citizens in handcuffs during the week. Brazil’s Ministry of Justice said it would seek an explanation from the US government for this “humiliating treatment”.
PHOTO: Trump sends soldiers to the border with Mexico. Giant tents are being built for migrants
America
According to Reuters, Mexico also refused to accept a deportation flight from the US this week. “However, the government was unable to implement a plan to land a C-17 transport aircraft in Mexico after the country did not grant permission,” the agency wrote, adding that Mexican authorities have not publicly explained the reasons for this move.
Trump’s White House announced today that the deportation flights have started.
And for the first time, the US is using military transport planes to do it.
This flight took around 80 illegal migrants back to Guatemala. pic.twitter.com/RWdp4Jv1S8
— Anhedonia (@randomthingxs) January 24, 2025
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum tried to avoid escalating the situation, and even expressed her openness to accepting returned Mexican citizens. But she said that she does not agree with mass deportations and that Mexican immigrants are vital to the American economy.
Guatemala received three more planes from the US on Friday, each with roughly 80 migrants. It involved two military and one commercial aircraft.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon said that the US military will provide flights to deport more than 5,000 immigrants detained by US authorities in Texas’ El Paso and California’s San Diego.
The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained 460 illegal immigrants in 33 hours during the first days of the Trump administration, including people with criminal records for sexual assault, domestic violence, or crimes related to drugs and weapons, Fox News reported.
India does not want to provoke Trump. It plans to repatriate its citizens living illegally in the USA
Foreign
