New Delhi: Colombian President Gustavo Petro has accused the United States of acting as a “modern-day slaver” before ultimately agreeing to comply with US demands over the deportation of migrants. The diplomatic standoff unfolded after Bogota blocked two flights carrying Colombian migrants from landing, prompting the Trump administration to retaliate with sanctions and economic threats.
The US military planes carrying deportees were denied landing rights in Colombia. Trump responded by announcing a series of retaliatory measures, including a 25% tariff on Colombian goods—set to increase to 50% in a week—visa revocations for Colombian officials, and enhanced customs inspections of Colombian nationals and cargo.
Trump, a mi no me gusta mucho viajar a los EEUU, es un poco aburridor, pero confieso que hay cosas meritorias, me gusta ir a los barrios negros de Washington, allí ví una lucha entera en la capital de los EEUU entre negros y latinos con barricadas, que me pareció una pendejada,…
— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) January 26, 2025
Trump’s threat on Truth Social
“These measures are just the beginning,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “We will not allow the Colombian government to violate its legal obligations with regard to the acceptance and return of criminals they forced into the United States.”
In response, Petro unleashed a scathing critique of US policies on X (formerly Twitter). “I don’t like travelling to the US, it’s a bit boring,” Petro wrote, accusing Trump of being driven by greed and undermining Colombia’s sovereignty. “You will never rule us,” he declared, likening US actions to historical oppression and referencing Colombia’s fight for independence under Simon Bolivar.
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.…
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) January 26, 2025
Petro also took aim at Trump’s rhetoric, labelling it as rooted in “racial superiority”. “I don’t like your oil, Trump, you’re going to wipe out the human species because of greed. Maybe one day, over a glass of whiskey, which I accept, despite my gastritis, we can talk frankly about this, but it’s difficult because you consider me an inferior race and I’m not, nor is any Colombian,” he wrote.
Colombia would continue accepting deportees
Petro also invoked the literary legacy of Gabriel García Márquez, calling Colombia “the land of yellow butterflies” and likening himself to Colonel Aureliano Buendia, a revolutionary leader from “One Hundred Years of Solitude”. “Colombia is the heart of the world and you didn’t understand that, this is the land of the yellow butterflies, of the beauty of Remedios, but also of the colonels Aureliano Buendía, of which I am one, perhaps the last,” he wrote further.
Despite his defiance, Petro ultimately agreed to US demands. Colombian foreign minister Luis Gilberto Murillo confirmed that Colombia would continue accepting deportees. Murillo in a statement said: “We have overcome the impasse with the US government. The government of Colombia … has the presidential plane ready to facilitate the return of Colombians who were going to arrive in the country this morning on deportation flights.”
