The White House announced that Colombia had agreed to accept its citizens who were deported from the United States on military flights, after President Donald Trump threatened to impose sanctions on the South American country if it refused, according to Reuters on January 27.
In an official statement, the White House said that Colombia had agreed to “immediately and without limitation accept all Colombian illegal immigrants leaving the U.S., including those on U.S. military flights.”
According to The Hill, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that based on the new agreement, the U.S. would lift sanctions and the 25% tariff on goods from the fourth-largest economy in South America.
Meanwhile, the suspension of U.S. visas at the embassy in Bogota would continue until the first flight carrying deported Colombians was completed.
A few hours earlier, Colombian President Gustavo Petro had refused to allow military planes carrying Colombian illegal immigrants to land at the country’s airports.
President Petro agreed to accept deported immigrants but “with dignity,” through civilian flights rather than U.S. military planes.
This statement from President Petro angered President Trump. The new occupant of the White House emphasized that he would retaliate by imposing a 25% tariff on Colombian products, with the tariff increasing to 50% within a week.
Trump also declared that he would immediately revoke visas for Colombian government officials as well as “supporters” of President Petro, and place Colombians under enhanced scrutiny at airports.
After the White House updated the information, the Colombian government briefly announced that the deadlock in the immigration dispute with the U.S. had been resolved, according to AFP.
“We will continue to accept deported Colombians,” AFP quoted Colombian Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo as saying at a press conference in Bogota.
