Just hours after President Donald Trump announced steep tariffs on Colombia for refusing to accept American deportees, Colombian President Gustavo Petro shot back with his own retaliatory measures.
The left-wing leader announced in a post on X that he had instructed his “foreign trade minister to raise import tariffs from the U.S. by 25%”—matching Trump’s own promised tariffs.
Earlier in the day, Petro sought to diffuse tensions by offering his presidential plane to “facilitate the dignified return” of migrants who had allegedly crossed into the United States illegally.
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“The Government of Colombia, under the direction of President Gustavo Petro, has arranged the presidential plane to facilitate the dignified return of the compatriots who were going to arrive in the country today in the morning, coming from deportation flights,” a statement from the Colombian government, translated from Spanish, read.
“This measure responds to the Government’s commitment to guarantee decent conditions,” it continued.
Trump first lashed out at Colombia on Sunday and condemned Petro in a Truth Social post for refusing to allow U.S. planes carrying undocumented migrants to land in the country.
As a result, Trump labeled him a “socialist” and said the U.S. would impose a slate of retaliatory measures until Petro relented. Those included an “emergency” 25-percent tariff on all goods coming into the country from Colombia; a visa revocation and travel ban for Colombian government officials; and enhanced customs inspections on Colombians coming into the U.S., among others.
The tariffs would increase to 50 percent in a week, he wrote, though it remains unclear if he will follow through by formally implementing the measures.
“Petro’s denial of these flights has jeopardized the National Security and Public Safety of the United States,” Trump added.
In particular, the tariffs are likely to cause Americans to pay more for their cups of joe: Colombia’s beans account for 20% of U.S. coffee imports, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The announcement came after Petro wrote in a series of X posts that he would continue to refuse deportation flights until the U.S. treats the country’s migrants with “dignity and respect.” He would accept migrants, he wrote, who were sent back on commercial airlines.
“A migrant is not a criminal and must be treated with the dignity that a human being deserves,” he wrote.
According to 2022 estimates by the Pew Research Center, about 190,000 undocumented Colombians live in the U.S.
Trump has vowed to pursue an intense crackdown on undocumented migrants in the U.S., signing multiple executive orders to that effect last week. He has sought to send migrants back to any country that would have them—regardless of whether it was their country of origin.
And he apparently has the backing of a powerful ally in House Speaker Mike Johnson.
“Colombia and all nations should be on notice,” Johnson wrote on X Sunday evening. “Congress is fully prepared to pass sanctions and other measures against those that do not fully cooperate or follow through on requirements to accept their citizens who are illegally in the United States.”
“President Trump is putting America first, just like he said he would,” Johnson continued. “And Congress will implement policies that reinforce his agenda.”
Other countries have also rebuked Trump’s efforts. Mexico rejected a U.S. military plane’s landing attempt on Thursday, according to NBC News, though it did accept multiple government-charted flights. Mexico and the Bahamas have also said they would not accept migrants who did not hail from their respective countries.
El Salvador, however, is reportedly negotiating a deal with the U.S. to accept migrants from anywhere as part of a “Safe Third Country” agreement, according to CBS News.
Trump has vowed to retaliate against countries who did not conform to his immigration plan, regardless of how close of an ally they were to the U.S. Mexico has also been threatened with the 25-percent tariffs.
“These measures are just the beginning,“ Trump wrote. “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!”
