Bogota, Jan 29: Two Colombian Aerospace Force planes with migrants deported from the United States landed late Tuesday in the country’s capital Bogota, Colombian President Gustavo Petro confirmed.
The Colombian nationals were picked up in Houston, Texas, and San Diego, California, on the instructions of Petro. “They are Colombians, they are free and dignified and they are in their homeland where they are loved. The migrant is not a criminal, he is a human being who wants to work and progress,” Petro posted on the social platform X, along with photos of the Colombian nationals walking out of planes.
Petro on Sunday denied entry of US military aircraft carrying the deportees, saying they were being treated like criminals. The move sparked a harsh response from his US counterpart Donald Trump, who threatened to cancel the visas of all Colombian government officials and slap 50 per cent tariffs on imports from Colombia.
The two sides then reached an agreement that Colombian planes would transport the deportees without handcuffs, under safe and dignified conditions, as requested by Colombia’s government.
“The Government of Colombia has agreed to all of President Trump’s terms, including the unrestricted acceptance of all illegal aliens from Colombia returned from the United States, including on U.S. military aircraft, without limitation or delay,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in the statement on Sunday.
Earlier in the day, Trump had posted on his social media platform that the United States will impose 25 per cent tariffs, which will increase to 50 per cent in one week, on all goods coming into the United States from Colombia.
In response, Colombian President Gustavo Petro had said on social media that Colombia would respond to the raised tariffs with an increased tariff of its own on US goods. Among the deported Colombians were 26 minors, the Colombian Institute of Family Welfare said, Xinhua news agency reported.
Colombian immigration officials and medical personnel travelled with the deportees, who are to benefit from a special credit programme to help them reintegrate into Colombian society. In the coming days, the Colombian Aerospace Force is expected to bring back more undocumented migrants as the new US administration cracked down on irregular migration. IANS