US President Donald Trump levied 25% tariffs on Colombia after its president prohibited two military flights transporting deported migrants from landing in the nation.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro refused US military jets transporting deported migrants admission into the nation on his official X page earlier today.
“The US cannot treat Colombian migrants as criminals,” Petro posted.
“I deny the entry of American planes carrying Colombian migrants into our territory.
“The United States must establish a protocol for the dignified treatment of migrants before we receive them.”
US officials told the BBC on Sunday, that two military planes from San Diego were due to land in Colombia with migrant deportees, but the plans were scrapped due to complications.
Speaking on the matter in a post on Truth Social, Trump said emergency tariffs “on all goods” entering the US from Colombia would be implemented “immediately”.
Trump said the 25 percent tariffs would be increased to 50 percent in a week.
The president said the US would impose a travel ban and “immediate visa revocations” on Colombian government officials.
Trump also said there would be visa sanctions on Colombian government supporters, and enhanced customs and border protection inspections “of all Colombian nationals and cargo on national security grounds”.
“These measures are just the beginning,” Trump added.
The US president said his administration would 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”.
During the campaigns for the US presidential elections, Trump had promised to carry out “mass deportations” of illegal migrants.
The president signed multiple executive orders related to immigration on his first day in office.
Some of Trump’s executive orders were signed to expand immigration and customs enforcement’s (ICE) ability to arrest and detain unlawful migrants on US soil.
