Colombia backs down in migrant row with US after Trump threatened tariffs

27 January 2025, 07:10 | Updated: 27 January 2025, 10:08

Colombia has backed down in a row over migrants with Donald Trump after the US president threatened to hit the South American country with punitive tariffs.

Furious Colombian President Gustavo Petro accused Donald Trump being a "white slaveholder" who is on track to "wipe out the human species" after he was forced to accept deported migrants - even sending his own plane - after initially blocking the flights..

On Sunday, Trump had threatened to hit Colombia with huge import tariffs and stop visa processing as the diplomatic dispute escalated.

After the climbdown, Petro said: "You don't like our freedom, okay. I don't shake hands with white slavers.

"Overthrow me, President, and the Americas and humanity will respond... You can try to carry out a coup with your economic strength and your arrogance."

President Trump had announced a slew of economic measures against Colombia, including a 25% tariff on all Colombian goods, which will be raised to 50% next week.

Taking to Truth Social, he wrote: "I was just informed that two repatriation flights from the United States, with a large number of Illegal Criminals, were not allowed to land in Colombia.

"This order was given by Colombia's Socialist President Gustavo Petro, who is already very unpopular amongst his people.

"Petro's denial of these flights has jeopardized the National Security and Public Safety of the United States, so l have directed my Administration to immediately take the following urgent and decisive retaliatory measures.

"These measures are just the beginning. We will not allow the Colombian Government to violate its legal obligations with regard to the acceptance and return of the Criminals they forced into the United States!"

A few hours later, the White House announced it was shelving the tariffs plan after Colombia agreed to accept deported migrants, but other penalties would remain in place.

Colombia has agreed to “unrestricted acceptance of all illegal aliens from Colombia returned from the United States, including on US military aircraft, without limitation or delay,” a White House statement said.

“Today’s events make clear to the world that America is respected again,” it added.

“President Trump will continue to fiercely protect our nation’s sovereignty, and he expects all other nations of the world to fully cooperate in accepting the deportation of their citizens illegally present in the United States.

”Colombia’s foreign minister confirmed it had “overcome the impasse” with Washington and added that it would “continue receiving Colombians who return as deportees”.

Mr Trump has undertaken a sweeping immigration crackdown, pledging to use mass deportations to remove undocumented migrants from the US.

The president’s blitz is well underway, with “hundreds” of people deported within his first week back in office, the White House reported.The first flights took off to Guatemala on Thursday, while Brazil, Mexico, and El Salvador are also understood to be destinations eyed up by the new administration.

However, the mass deportations have been met with a backlash from some South American leaders who have complained about the “inhumane” treatment of those on board.