Bogota Dispatches Presidential Plane for Migrant Citizens
Colombia reverses its decision to prevent deportation flights from the US, following pressure from Washington.
President Gustavo Petro had initially stated that Colombian airspace would not accommodate American military aircraft carrying deportees without a “protocol for the dignified treatment of migrants.” This stance led President Donald Trump to threaten tariffs on Colombian goods and visa restrictions on Colombian officials.
In response, Bogota announced it would use the presidential plane to facilitate the return of Colombian nationals slated for deportation. A government statement read, “Colombians are not and will not be banished from Colombian territory.”
Petro later criticized US coercion in a post on X, comparing it to the CIA-backed coup in Chile. He vowed to impose tariffs on American goods if economic restrictions were implemented.
The White House subsequently announced that Colombia had agreed to all of Trump’s demands, including the unrestricted acceptance of deportees from the US via military aircraft. The drafted tariffs would be held in reserve and not enacted unless Colombia failed to honor this agreement.