It all started shortly before 4 a.m. on Sunday with a publication by the president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, on his X account: “I disallow the entry of North American planes with Colombian migrants into our territory. “The United States must establish a protocol for the dignified treatment of migrants before we receive them.”
The message, just six days after the inauguration of the new American president, Donald Trump, represents the first open diplomatic front between the two governments. Also the first frontal show of rejection against Washington’s policy of mass deportations by an international leader.
A few hours later, the leader of the world’s leading power responded with a punch on the table and, through Truth, his own social network, detailed a series of economic sanctions against the South American country.
In addition to the 25% tariffs and the blockade on the issuance of visas by the US embassy in Bogotá, he also announced that he will revoke the visa for Colombian officials as of Monday and prohibits members of the Executive, allies, family members and like-minded travel to the United States.
The news was received in Colombia with apprehension. It was the first contact with the harsh tone of Trump, who assured that a “large number of illegal criminals” were on board the two flights. And that the order to prevent their landing was from the “socialist president” of Colombia, who “is already very unpopular among his people.”
The North American Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, defended the thesis that the planes had received authorization to land in Bogotá. However, in mid-flight, the Colombian government denied permission: “As today’s actions demonstrate, we are unwavering in our commitment to ending illegal immigration and strengthening United States border security,” Rubio said.
The version from sources close to the Colombian Foreign Ministry indicate that Petro decided to change his plans when he found out that it was a military aircraft and that the deported citizens were handcuffed.
Last Friday, in fact, the country had received the news of the US executive order to close almost the entire foreign aid tap like a bucket of cold water. A measure that affects international cooperation while Washington evaluates its new priorities.
In the Colombian case, for example, millionaire funds destined for the fight against drug trafficking remain in suspense. Or manage the Venezuelan humanitarian crisis. Or other social programs aimed at protecting threatened human rights defenders. Or finish off the peace agreements signed between the State and the FARC guerrilla in Havana (2016).
A statement published on Sunday by the Colombian Government reported that the president has arranged the presidential plane to “facilitate the dignified return of the compatriots who were going to arrive in the country today in the morning.” Throughout the afternoon there were also messages in X from the Colombian president, who ended up responding to Trump’s unilateral trade sanctions with the order to the Minister of Foreign Trade to raise tariffs on imports from the United States by 25%.
The United States is Colombia’s largest trading partner. The two countries have had a Free Trade Agreement since 2006. And a good part of the price of the Colombian basic basket depends on the price of the dollar. In the case of the United States, the prices of coffee, flowers and oil, the three major products imported from the South American country, would be affected. For this reason, analysts are already predicting a busy week in the exchange houses.
“It is harmful that state presidents manage foreign policy through messages from academic, tourist or health. For this reason, he emphasizes that the most affected will be Colombians who follow the diplomatic requirements to visit the United States: “This is not solving the crisis of undocumented immigrants who cross the Darién Gap on the border with Panama. These sanctions harm the entire country. And it leaves Colombia almost at the same level as Venezuela.”
International politics expert Enrique Prieto-Ríos recalls that during the four-year period of Joe Biden’s administration, deportation flights from the United States reached 15,000: “Colombia, due to its geographical position, has become a strategic ally for Washington. It is a key country in the fight against drugs and its role in the migration crisis. Perhaps that is why Petro has adopted an unusually belligerent position with emphasis on respect for sovereignty and respect between countries.” In any case, Prieto-Ríos recalls, the power of the largest world power constitutes a key element to find a way out of the crisis.
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