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Edited by: Fern Sidman
President Donald Trump announced on Sunday his intent to impose an “emergency 25% tariff” on Colombian goods, escalating tensions with the South American nation after its socialist president, Gustavo Petro, blocked two U.S. military deportation flights. According to a report in The New York Post, Trump framed the incident as a threat to U.S. national security, blaming Petro for failing to comply with deportation agreements.
Trump took to social media to express his frustration, writing, “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.” He criticized Petro as “already very unpopular amongst his people” and accused him of jeopardizing “the National Security and Public Safety of the United States.” The New York Post report emphasized that Trump vowed to escalate his response, threatening to raise the tariff to 50% within a week if Petro did not comply with U.S. demands.
Beyond tariffs, Trump proposed a suite of punitive measures against Colombia, including a travel ban, visa sanctions on government officials and their supporters, enhanced customs inspections of Colombian nationals, and banking and financial restrictions. As per The New York Post, he declared, “These measures are just the beginning. We will not allow the Colombian Government to violate its legal obligations with regard to the acceptance and return of the Criminals they forced into the United States!” Trump’s approach is emblematic of his broader immigration and trade policies.
The dispute stems from Petro’s decision to reject the deportation flights, citing concerns over the treatment of Colombian migrants. Petro criticized the use of U.S. military planes, arguing that deportees should not be treated as criminals. “A migrant is not a criminal and must be treated with the dignity that a human being deserves,” Petro said, according to The New York Post. He insisted that deported Colombians should be returned “with dignity and respect for them and for our country.” Petro offered a compromise, proposing the use of Colombia’s presidential aircraft, a converted Boeing 737-700, to ensure deportees travel in “dignified conditions.”
The U.S. has maintained a complex relationship with Colombia, its fifth-largest recipient of deportation flights between 2020 and 2024. According to the information provided in The New York Post report, the United States sent 475 deportation flights to Colombia during this period, with 124 accepted in 2023 alone. However, Petro’s government has grown increasingly critical of the protocols surrounding deportations, which he described as dehumanizing.
This diplomatic row comes at a time when Colombian migration to the U.S. has surged. In the 12 months ending in September, 127,604 Colombians crossed into the U.S. illegally, making them the fourth-largest group of migrants behind Mexicans, Guatemalans, and Venezuelans. The New York Post reported that many Colombians have used a loophole in Mexico’s visa regime, allowing them to fly directly into the country and bypass the perilous Darien Gap, a dangerous jungle corridor linking Central and South America.
Trade between the U.S. and Colombia also hangs in the balance. In 2022, the U.S. enjoyed a $3.5 billion trade surplus with Colombia, which is a critical supplier of coffee. Roughly 27% of all coffee imported into the United States comes from Colombia, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The New York Post report noted that Trump’s tariff threats could have significant economic implications for both nations, especially given Colombia’s reliance on trade with the U.S.
Despite Trump’s fiery rhetoric, The New York Post report indicated that no official orders had been issued to implement his proposed measures as of Sunday afternoon. However, the escalation reflects Trump’s broader strategy to use trade and immigration policy as leverage in international disputes. Petro, a former leftist guerrilla, signaled on Sunday that he might be open to negotiation, but his criticism of U.S. deportation practices emphasizes a growing divide between the two nations.
