 "US halts sanctions on Colombia after it agrees to 'all terms' of Trump")
This report has been updated
US pauses sanctions and tariffs on Colombia after the country agreed to accept all the terms of President Donald Trump, including accepting flights of deported migrants from America, the White House said.
Earlier, Colombia took a U-turn, sending its presidential plane to Honduras to pick up the Colombian nationals deported from the United States. Initially, the country had refused to accept migrant deportation flights from the US, after which US President Donald Trump imposed a 25 per cent tariff among other retaliatory measures.
Colombia goes back on its word
Colombian President Gustavo Petro arranged for the presidential plane to facilitate the "dignified return" of Colombian nationals who were deported to the country, a statement by the President's office said. The Colombian government has also formed a "dedicated team" to ensure "dignified treatment" of deported nationals.
"Additionally, the government has convened a Unified Command Post (PMU) on migration, including representatives from the Defence Ministry, the People's Office, the Chancellor's Office, and the Presidency of the Republic. This body's objective is to establish and review protocols that ensure dignified treatment of deported Colombians, guaranteeing that procedures respect human rights and the integrity of each person," a statement released by the President's office read.
The Colombian government also assured remaining in touch with the United States and added that it will seek agreements to ensure minimum dignity for those being deported.
Also Read
"Colombia reaffirms its commitment to protecting its nationals and will continue leading regional and international efforts to find humane and just solutions to migration challenges," the statement read.
Here are the events in a sequence that led to the Colombian government making a U-turn:
Colombia denies flights carrying deported nationals
On January 26, Colombian President Petro said that his government would not accept flights carrying migrants deported from the US until the Trump administration creates a protocol that treats them with dignity.
He also asserted that the US could not treat Colombian migrants as criminals.
Petro announced this in two posts on X, one of which included a news video of migrants reportedly deported to Brazil walking on a tarmac with restraints on their hands and feet.
Trump imposes retaliatory measures on Colombia
Following Colombia's denial, Donald Trump announced a 25 per cent retaliatory "emergency tariff" on Colombia, hours after President Petro blocked US military deportation flights. The Colombian government had rejected two US military flights carrying migrants.
"These measures are just the beginning," Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social. "We will not allow the Colombian government to violate its legal obligations about the acceptance and return of the criminals they forced into the United States."
Apart from a 25 per cent tariff on all imports from Colombia, the other retaliatory measures included a "travel ban" for Colombian nationals and a revocation of visas for Colombian officials in the US and "all allies and supporters."
Colombia retaliates with counter-tariffs
Colombian President Gustavo Petro ordered an increase in import tariffs on US goods in retaliation to President Donald Trump's order.
Petro, in a post on X, said he had ordered Colombia's foreign trade minister to raise import tariffs from the US by 25 per cent.
Colombia's recent history of deported immigrants from the US
Colombia accepted 475 deportation flights from the United States from 2020 to 2024, fifth behind Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and El Salvador, according to Witness at the Border, an advocacy group that tracks flight data. It accepted 124 deportation flights in 2024. (With agency inputs)