Hours after President Donald Trump enacted tariffs on goods from Colombia in response to the president of Colombia refusing to repatriate his own citizens, the government of Colombia agreed to all of Trump’s terms. Those terms include the use of U.S. military aircraft to fly illegal immigrants from the United States back to Colombia.
The statement from the White House reads:
“The Government of Colombia has agreed to all of President Trump’s terms, including the unrestricted acceptance of all illegal aliens from Colombia returned from the United States, including on U.S. military aircraft, without limitation or delay. Based on this agreement, the fully drafted IEEPA tariffs and sanctions will be held in reserve, and not signed, unless Colombia fails to honor this agreement. The visa sanctions issued by the State Department, and enhanced inspections from Customs and Border Protection, will remain in effect until the first planeload of Colombian deportees is successfully returned. Today’s events make clear to the world that America is respected again. 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.”
Earlier in the day, after Colombian President Gustavo Petro turned away the U.S. flights that had about 160 illegal Colombian immigrants on them, Trump set forth a punishing series of sanctions, including huge tariffs.
Petro quickly backed down and at first said he would fly his own jet up to get the immigrants. Later, it appears he conceded fully.
