Following a near trade war with the United States, Colombia has begun accepting deported migrants. Colombian President Gustavo Petro emphasized their "dignified" return, asserting they are not criminals.
This comes just days after former President Donald Trump threatened significant tariffs and sanctions against Colombia for initially refusing to accept the deportees. Trump's actions were part of his broader immigration crackdown.
Two Colombian Air Force planes landed in Bogota, carrying Colombian nationals deported from San Diego and El Paso. President Petro shared images of the arrivals on X (formerly Twitter), stating, "The migrant is not a criminal... he is a human being who wants to work and progress, to live life."
The Colombian government is framing the returns as Petro fulfilling his promises and is developing a credit plan to aid the migrants' reintegration.
Over the weekend, the U.S. attempted to send two flights of Colombian migrants as part of Trump's deportation program. Petro initially rejected these flights, arguing against treating Colombian migrants as criminals.
Trump responded with a threat of 25% tariffs on Colombian goods, a travel ban on Colombian officials, and other financial penalties. He stated the tariffs could increase to 50% and insisted the deportees were "illegal criminals."
Petro initially countered with his own 25% tariffs on U.S. goods and refused to accept migrants arriving on military aircraft or in restraints.
However, facing internal political pressure, Petro ultimately agreed to all of Trump's demands. The White House confirmed Colombia's acceptance of all deported migrants, including transport on U.S. military aircraft.
Trump celebrated the outcome as a win for his "f--- around and find out" (FAFO) governing style, even sharing an AI-generated image of himself as a mobster alongside a "FAFO" sign.
Trump administration officials viewed the agreement as a demonstration of U.S. power, while Colombian officials portrayed it as mutually beneficial. The incident led to canceled visa appointments at the U.S. embassy in Bogota.
Colombia is a major recipient of U.S. aid, receiving over $13 billion since 2000 for various programs, including counternarcotics, peace accord implementation, migrant integration, and environmental initiatives.
