By james art 
Bogota – US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he was ordering tariffs, visa restrictions and other response to be taken against Colombia after her government rejected two migrant flights.
Trump said measures are needed as the decision of Colombian President Gustavo Petro “threatens” US National Security
“These measures are only the beginning,” Trump wrote in his social media platform Truth Social. “We will not allow the Colombian government to violate its legal obligations regarding the acceptance and return of the criminals they forced to enter the United States.”
Earlier on Sunday, Petro said his government would not accept flights with migrants deported from the United States until the Trump administration created a protocol that treated them with “dignity”. Petro made the message in two X posts, one of which included a news video of migrants reported to have been deported to Brazil, walking on asphalt with arms and leg limiters.
“The emigrant is not a criminal and must be treated with the dignity that a human being deserves,” Petro said. “That’s why I returned US military planes that were carrying Colombian migrants.
Colombia has accepted 475 deportation flights from the United States from 2020 to 2024, fifth after Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and El Salvador, according to the Witness at the Border, an advocacy group that tracks flight data. He accepted 124 deportation fields in 2024.
Last year, Colombia and other countries began accepting US -funded deportation flights from Panama.
The US Government did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Associated Press on the aircraft and protocols used in deportation in Colombia.
Peter, a former left -wing partisan, added that his country would accept the Colombians in “civilian aircraft” and “without regard to criminals.”
As part of a series of actions to implement US President Donald Trump’s election promises to deal with illegal immigration, his government uses the military of active service to support the border guard and to make deportations.
Two C-17 C-17s of the Air Force carrying migrants moved from the United States landed early on Friday in Guatemala. On the same day, Honduras received two deportment flights carrying a total of 193 people.
When announcing what he called “emergency and decisive response,” Trump explained that he had ordered “25% duties on all goods coming to the United States”, which will be increased to 50% in a week. He said he also ordered a “ban on travel and immediate visa” by Colombian government officials, allies and supporters.
“All party members, family members and supporters of the Colombian government,” Trump wrote, will be the subject of visa sanctions. He did not say which country it was, nor did it give further details about visas and travel limitations.
Trump added that all Colombians would face enhanced customs checks.
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Regina Garcia Kano reported from Karakas, Venezuela.
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