Visa appointments cancelled in Colombia after spat over deportation flights

Visa appointments at the US Embassy in Colombia were cancelled Monday following a dispute over deportation flights from the US that nearly turned into a costly trade war between the two countries.

Dozens of Colombians showed up outside the US Embassy in Bogota and were handed letters by local staff that said their appointments had been cancelled due to the Colombian government's refusal to accept repatriation flights of Colombian nationals. Others with visa appointments for Monday received similar email messages.

Obtaining an appointment can take up to two years.

Tensions between Colombia and the United States escalated Sunday after President Gustavo Petro wrote an early morning message on X saying he would not allow two US air force planes carrying Colombian deportees to land in the country. He had previously authorized the flights.

Petro also shared a video that showed another group of deportees reportedly arriving in Brazil with shackles on their legs. He said Colombia would only accept deportation flights when the United States had established protocols that ensured the dignified treatment of expelled migrants.

President Donald Trump responded with a post of his own on Truth Social, in which he called for 25% emergency tariffs on Colombian exports to the United States, and also said that the US visas of Colombian government officials would be revoked, while goods coming from the South American country would face enhanced customs inspections.

Meanwhile, the State Department said Sunday it would stop issuing visas to Colombian nationals until deportation flights resumed.

Tensions decreased Sunday night following negotiations between the countries, with the White House saying in a statement that Colombia had allowed the resumption of deportation flights and agreed to all of President Trump's terms, including the arrival of deportees on military flights.

In the past, most Colombians removed from the United States had been arriving on charter flights organised by US government contractors.

The White House said tariffs on Colombian exports would be put on hold, but added that visa restrictions on Colombian officials and enhanced custom inspections would remain until the first planeload of Colombian deportees is successfully returned.

The State Department has not responded to requests for comment on the resumption of visa appointments.

Last year, more than 1.6 million Colombians travelled to the US legally, according to a report by the Ministry of Commerce. The report said the United States was the top destination for Colombians travelling abroad.