US-Colombia Deportation Dispute Resolved

The White House has claimed victory in a showdown with Colombia over accepting flights of deported migrants from the US. The dispute began when Colombian President Gustavo Petro rejected two US military aircraft carrying migrants, citing concerns over the dignity of the deportees.

In response, US President Donald Trump threatened steep tariffs on Colombian imports and other sanctions. Trump ordered visa restrictions, 25% tariffs on all Colombian incoming goods, and other retaliatory measures. Petro retaliated by announcing a 25% increase in Colombian tariffs on US goods.

However, in a late Sunday statement, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced that the Colombian government had agreed to all of Trump's terms, including the unrestricted acceptance of all illegal aliens from Colombia returned from the US. The tariff orders will be held in reserve, and not signed, but Trump will maintain visa restrictions on Colombian officials and enhanced customs inspections of goods from the country.

The dispute highlights the strained relationship between the US and Colombia, which has been a key ally in anti-narcotics efforts. Colombia has accepted 475 deportation flights from the US from 2020 to 2024, but Petro's government has sought to distance itself from the US.

The standoff also underscores the Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigration. The US government has begun using active-duty military to help secure the border and carry out deportations. Two US Air Force C-17 cargo planes carrying migrants removed from the US touched down in Guatemala on Friday, while Honduras received two deportation flights carrying a total of 193 people.

Colombia is the US's fourth-largest overseas supplier of crude oil and its largest supplier of fresh-cut flowers. The country has traditionally been the US's top ally in Latin America, but the relationship has been strained since Petro, a former guerrilla, became Colombia's first leftist president in 2022.