The White House announced that Colombia has agreed to accept migrants and Washington will not apply its threatening sanctions. Draft orders for the imposition of tariffs and sanctions against Colombia will be «kept in reserve and will not be signed if Colombia fulfills this agreement», the statement said.
«Today's events make it clear to the world that America is respected again. President Trump... expects full cooperation from all other countries in the world in taking measures to deport their citizens illegally residing in the US», — noted in the White House statement.
On Sunday, President Gustavo Petro in a series of posts stated that Colombia would not accept military deportation flights from the US until the Donald Trump administration ensures the process of treating Colombian migrants with «dignity and respect». Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the President of Colombia allowed the flights and provided all necessary permissions, and then revoked his permission when the planes were already in the air.
After that, Trump announced a barrage of tariffs and sanctions aimed at the country, which had long been a major ally of the US. He announced that he was immediately imposing 25-percent tariffs on all Colombian imports, and would raise them to 50 percent in a week. According to the president, the Trump administration would also «fully implement» banking and financial sanctions against Colombia, impose a travel ban on Colombian government officials and their associates, and revoke their visas.
Petro decided to announce retaliatory measures of 25 percent on American imports to Colombia, adding that these tariffs would reach 50 percent. However, he soon changed his tone and stated that the Colombian government had prepared the presidential plane, «to facilitate the return of Colombians who were supposed to arrive in the country this morning on deportation flights». Six minutes passed between these statements on social media.
Photo: Reuters