President of Colombia Gustavo Petro stated that his presidential plane would be used to return Colombian deportees from the United States. This came after President Donald Trump took strong measures that put immense pressure on Colombia to cooperate.
The problem began when President Petro denied Colombian migrants deportation flights landing in Colombia. He said that the country could only receive the deportees after the United States had promised "dignified treatment" for the deportees.
Petro said,"I deny the entry of American planes carrying Colombian migrants into our territory." However, Trump responded with tough actions, including a 25% tariff on all Colombian goods entering the US. He warned the tariff could double in just a week if Colombia didn’t comply. Trump also imposed a travel ban and visa restrictions on Colombian officials, calling these steps "just the beginning."
Trump slammed Petro on his social media, Truth Social, for his rejection: "This order was given by Colombia's Socialist President Gustavo Petro, who is already very unpopular amongst his people."
In reaction to Petro's initial unwillingness to accept deportation flights, Donald Trump issued stern warnings and implemented punitive measures.
Trump's tariffs gave a monetary shock to Colombia, which pushed President Petro about-face on earlier statements. Petro declared the return of deportees to Colombia via the Colombian presidential aircraft via a statement. He called this an instrument for their "dignified return."
"The Government of Colombia, under the direction of President Gustavo Petro, has arranged the presidential plane to facilitate the dignified return of compatriots," read the statement in Spanish. "This measure responds to the Government's commitment to guarantee decent conditions."
Colombia relies heavily on the United States for trade, so the 25% tariff on Colombian merchandise was a big setback. President Petro got back to matching the tariff by levying a 25% tax on American items shipped to Colombia. He later raised it to 50%, which was a declaration of war.
Petro advised Colombian companies in a social media post to broaden their exports and lessen their dependency on the United States. He wrote, "The ministry should help direct our exports to the whole world other than the US."
This heated tariff war has strained the ties between the two states. House Speaker Mike Johnson of the United States weighed in, warning Congress that it supports everything Trump does. "Colombia and all nations should be on notice," Johnson said. "President Trump is putting America first, just like he said he would."