US, Colombia threaten trade war by spitting on deportees

Donald Trump unleashed a flurry of retaliatory measures against Colombia, including 25% tariffs on its goods, after the Latin American country refused entry to US military flights expelling migrants.

Colombias left-wing president Gustavo Petro quickly responded with a reciprocal threat of 50% tariffs on goods from the United States.

The row began when Petro said in a post on X that deported migrants should be treated with dignity and respect.

We will receive our fellow citizens on civilian planes, without treating them like criminals.

Colombia had already refused US military planes carrying deportees this week, Petro said on Sunday.

Trump responded by accusing Petro in an article on Truth Social of compromising U.S. national security and public safety.

He announced emergency tariffs of 25% that would increase to 50% within a week, alongside a travel ban and immediate dismissals for Colombian government officials and all allies and supporters.

These measures are only the beginning, Trump posted. We do not allow the Colombian government to violate its legal obligations regarding the acceptance and return of criminals they forced into the United States!

Your blockade does not scare me because Colombia, beyond being a country of beauty, is also the heart of the world, Petro wrote in a long message on X.

He also said he found the U.S. visit Boring in an apparent blow to Washington's imposition of travel restrictions. Knock me down, president [Trump]and the Americas and humanity will respond.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro also called for an extraordinary meeting of Latin American presidents to examine migration issues Luis Acosta/AFP via Getty Images

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Petro initially authorized the deportation flights only to cancel them while they were in the air.

As today's actions demonstrate, we are unwavering in our commitment to ending illegal immigration and strengthening the security of the Americas' borders, he said.

Will Freeman, a Latin American studies fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, noted that Colombia sends nearly a third of its exports to the United States, so this emergency tariff and the threat of lifting more are serious.

It shows that wherever the Trump administration identifies which United States still has leverage, it will use it to the fullest extent to comply with its mass deportation policy.

Trump has vowed to carry out the largest mass deportation of illegal immigrants in U.S. history, sparking uncertainty among the 11 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S. and resistance from potential partners of the region.

Petros' announcement came a day after the Brazilian government condemned as degrading the use of handcuffs on its nationals aboard a deportation flight from the United States.

On Friday, the plane made an unscheduled stop in Manaus due to technical problems, Braslia said she was preventing the flight from continuing to its final destination of Belo Horizonte due to the handcuffs, poor condition of the plane and the anger of the 88 Brazilian citizens over their unworthy treatment.

Brazil's Justice Minister said there had been a blatant lack of respect for the fundamental rights of Brazilian citizens.

Brazil criticized the degrading use of handcuffs on its citizens on a US deportation flight that landed in Manaus on Saturday Michael Dantas/AFP via Getty Images

Although Colombia and the United States have long been close allies with Washington providing about $10 billion in military and foreign aid to Bogotá as part of its plan, Colombia aimed to combat insurgents and drug traffickers between 1999 and 2016, Trump and Petro were ideologically opposed.

It is important for Petro and many Latin American leaders to demonstrate resistance to this policy on migration, said Sergio Guzmn, director of Colombia Risk Analysis, a consultancy based in Bogotá. Petro is trying to show strength and project an ideological difference with Trump.

The flow of migrants north across the Darin Gap, a stretch of jungle that separates Colombia and Panama, has plummeted over the past year, as has the number of illegal crossings into the United States.

Last year, 302,000 migrants crossed the Darin Gap, down more than 40% in 2023, according to Panama's foreign ministry, following a crackdown by Panamanian authorities on the route which is controlled by criminal smuggling groups.

But many migrants have used legal pathways opened by the Biden administration to cross into the United States, and overall migrant numbers are still near recent record highs.

Mexico is negotiating with the United States on immigration and drugs to try to avoid a 25% tariff on its exports to the United States starting next week.

Mexico's Foreign Ministry said Friday it would still welcome Mexicans with open arms, after NBC News reported it had refused to resume a military flight of migrants.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum stressed that although she does not agree with the deportations, Mexico will cooperate with the United States and maintain a good relationship with the Trump administration.

Tom Homan, Trumps Border Czar, told ABC News on Sunday that if host countries refuse to receive migrants, then place them in a safe third country.

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