Trump sanctions Colombia which in turn takes retaliatory measures

Donald Trump had warned, he is determined to put an end to illegal immigration. Thus, several decrees were issued to promote the expulsion of migrants, mainly the most dangerous under the Alien Act of 1798. Several military flights, loaded with immigrants, therefore left the United States in the direction of Bogota before turning back, due to lack of authorization to land.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced Sunday that he had banned their entry, saying he would only accept civilian flights that treat migrants with “dignity”. “A migrant is not a criminal and must be treated with the dignity that a human being deserves. This is why I turned away the American military planes that were transporting Colombian migrants.”wrote the president on the X network. “I cannot make migrants stay in a country that does not want them, but if that country sends them back, it must be done with dignity and respect for them and for our country”Mr. Petro said again. “We will welcome our nationals on civilian planes, without treating them like criminals” he declared again.

Immediate retaliatory measures

In retaliation, the American president announced on his social network, Truth Social, several retaliatory measures: imposition of 25% customs duties on all products coming from Colombia, a rate which could rise to 50% at the end of the week; travel ban and visa revocation for Colombian officials; strengthening of customs controls and application of economic and financial sanctions. The American president announced that these measures are only the beginning.

Colombia in turn taxes the United States

Bogota was quick to react by decreeing, a few hours later, customs duties of 25% on all American imports. Gustavo Petro, writing on “raise customs duties on imports from the United States to 25%”.

The Colombian government also announced earlier that it would send its presidential plane to the United States to transport “dignifiedly” illegal immigrants. “The Government of Colombia, under the leadership of President Gustavo Petro, made the presidential plane available to facilitate the dignified return of nationals who were to arrive in the country this morning, by expulsion flights”declared the presidency in a press release sent to the press.

On Saturday, it was Brasilia who demanded explanations from Washington for the “degrading treatment” of 88 illegal Brazilian migrants deported by the United States, aboard a flight arriving Friday in Manaus (northern Brazil). “On the plane, they didn’t give us water, we were tied hand and foot, and they didn’t even let us go to the toilet”told AFP Edgar Da Silva Moura, a 31-year-old computer scientist, who arrived on the flight after seven months of detention in the United States. “It was too hot, some fainted”he added.