White House says Colombia agreed to Trump’s deportation terms after tariff standoff

The White Home stated Sunday that Colombia has agreed to all of President Donald Trump’s phrases after Trump threatened to impose sweeping retaliatory measures in opposition to it, together with tariffs and visa sanctions, after it denied entry to 2 U.S. army deportation flights.

“The Authorities of Colombia has agreed to all of President Trump’s phrases, together with the unrestricted acceptance of all unlawful aliens from Colombia returned from america, together with on U.S. army plane, with out limitation or delay,” White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated in an announcement.

Leavitt stated Trump’s proposed actions on tariffs and sanctions “might be held in reserve, and never signed, except Colombia fails to honor this settlement.”

Different measures introduced earlier Sunday, together with visa sanctions and “enhanced inspections” by U.S. Customs and Border Safety, “will stay in impact till the primary planeload of Colombian deportees is efficiently returned.”

Colombian International Affairs Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo stated in remarks delivered in Spanish that the nation “will proceed to obtain Colombians deported, guaranteeing them dignified circumstances as residents topic to rights.”

“The federal government, underneath the management of Gustavo Petro, has at its disposal the presidential airplane to obtain the Colombians that will have been deported right now,” he continued on the transient livestream. “Colombia reiterates that the diplomatic channels for interlocution might be open to take care of the rights, the nationwide curiosity and the dignity of our residents.”

Colombia’s International Ministry additionally stated in an announcement written in Spanish that “the chancellor Luis Gilberto Murillo and the ambassador Daniel Garcia-Pena, will journey within the following hours to Washington, D.C., to maintain high-level relationships that comply with up with agreements, ensuing within the joint work and the trade of diplomatic notes that have been despatched right now between each governments.”

The saga started earlier Sunday when Colombia denied entry to deportation flights from america, prompting Trump to threaten retaliatory tariffs, amongst different measures.

“These measures are only the start. We won’t enable the Colombian Authorities to violate its authorized obligations with regard to the acceptance and return of the Criminals they compelled into america!” Trump wrote on Reality Social earlier Sunday.

Officers from the Division of Homeland Safety and the Protection Division had confirmed to NBC Information that the flights have been denied.

The flights, carried out on U.S. army C-17 plane, departed from California carrying about 80 Colombian migrants every, the protection official stated.

In response, Trump introduced on Reality Social sweeping retaliatory measures that embody tariffs on Colombian imports, visa sanctions on authorities officers and allies, enhanced customs inspections and monetary penalties, as america accuses Colombia of violating its obligations to just accept deported nationals.

Trump justified the measures by writing that “Petro’s denial of those flights has jeopardized the Nationwide Safety and Public Security of america.”

He added that the tariffs on Colombian imports would begin at 25% on all items and would rise to 50% in a single week.

The retaliatory measures additionally embody “A Journey Ban and instant Visa Revocations on the Colombian Authorities Officers, and all Allies and Supporters,” Trump wrote, in addition to “Visa Sanctions on all Social gathering Members, Household Members, and Supporters of the Colombian Authorities.”

Petro responded by saying that Trump’s actions “don’t scare me,” including that Colombia is “not anybody’s colony.” He directed Colombia’s international commerce minister to lift tariffs on imports from america by 25% and to direct exports to “the entire world aside from the U.S.”

He added that U.S. items whose costs would rise within the nationwide financial system have to be changed by nationally produced items, which the federal government would purportedly assist accomplish.

In accordance with the Workplace of the U.S. Commerce Consultant, the entire estimated worth of products and companies commerce between america and Colombia in 2022 was $53.5 billion, with the worth of exports barely exceeding the worth of imports.

In accordance with the Commerce Division’s Bureau of Business and Safety, the highest U.S. imports from Colombia lately have been oils and minerals, lime and cement, totaling over 40% of imports, and agricultural items, which added as much as over 26% of imports.

Initially cleared for touchdown, the flights have been grounded after Petro immediately revoked all diplomatic clearances for them, the official stated.

In an announcement later, Petro’s workplace wrote that the flights have been halted not as a result of he didn’t wish to facilitate the return of Colombians again into his nation however as a result of the federal government was prioritizing “dignified circumstances” for the migrants.

“The Authorities of Colombia, underneath the management of President Gustavo Petro, has organized for the presidential airplane to facilitate the dignified return of Colombian nationals who have been to reach within the nation right now within the morning hours, coming from deportation flights,” the assertion stated.

It added: “This measure responds to the Authorities’s dedication to ensure dignified circumstances. By no means have Colombians, as patriots and topics of rights, been or might be banished from Colombian territory.”

Comply with alongside for reside updates

Mexico quickly blocked two U.S. planes with 80 passengers every from touchdown final week, irritating deportation plans and sparking tensions. Whereas the difficulty was resolved, Mexican officers have categorical opposition to america’ unilateral actions round immigration coverage.

In an announcement on X, Petro criticized using army planes for deportation.

“A migrant shouldn’t be a prison and ought to be handled with the dignity a human being deserves,” he wrote. “We are going to obtain our nationals in civilian airplanes, with out treating them as criminals. Colombia have to be revered.”

The Brazilian authorities condemned what it described because the degrading remedy of its nationals who have been on an ICE repatriation flight Friday, citing using handcuffs, a damaged air-con system and different violations of a bilateral settlement that ensures humane remedy.

On Friday, Guatemala obtained about 265 deported nationals on three flights from america, two of which have been army plane, based on the Guatemalan Migration Institute.

The flights are a part of the Trump administration’s crackdown on unlawful immigration, initiated via govt orders throughout Trump’s first week in workplace. Alongside deportation efforts, the administration has deployed a further 1,500 troops to the U.S.-Mexico border to strengthen enforcement.