US President Donald Trump has announced plans to impose tariffs and sanctions on Colombia in response to the country’s refusal to allow two US-bound flights carrying illegal immigrants to land. The flights, which were carrying a significant number of criminal offenders, were denied permission to land in Colombia, according to Trump.
In a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump stated that he had instructed his administration to take “swift and decisive retaliatory actions.”He also announced a 25% tariff on all Colombian goods entering the US, which would double to 50% after a week.
The US is Colombia’s largest trading partner, with over $12 billion worth of Colombian goods entering the US annually.
Trump also announced that visas would be revoked for all Colombian government officials and their “associates and supporters”as well as members of the Colombia Humana party and their families. He further stated that Colombian visitors to the US would face increased scrutiny from customs and border control and that financial sanctions would be imposed on the Colombian capital, Bogota.
“This is just the beginning”Trump emphasized, adding that the US would not allow the Colombian government to disregard its legal obligations regarding the acceptance and repatriation of criminal offenders.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro had previously stated that he would not allow the flights to land in Colombia until the US guaranteed a “dignified treatment”of the repatriated migrants. However, he did not specify what he meant by “dignified treatment.”
Since Trump’s inauguration, US immigration and customs agents have conducted daily raids in the US, with over 400 individuals arrested for deportation on Saturday alone. The raids have focused on the arrest of immigrants who entered the US illegally and have committed further crimes, according to the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.
The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, stated in a statement that the deportation flights had begun, with two military planes transporting 160 individuals to Guatemala on Thursday and three more flights to Guatemala and four to Mexico on Friday. The exact number of Colombian nationals currently awaiting deportation is unknown.