Well, that escalated quickly, as they say.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro decided to test the new administration by canceling approval for repatriation flights carrying Colombian nationals just hours after the flights were already airborne. This move did not go over well with the Trump administration which issued a scathing threat of tariffs and other moves designed to exert pressure on the Colombian government.
The Socialist President of Colombia failed to understand that President Trump isn’t Joe Biden. pic.twitter.com/HYTguNKPWA
— Bernie Moreno (@berniemoreno) January 26, 2025
In a matter of hours, maybe even minutes, Colombia backed down and agreed to reverse course, according to Fox News:
Colombian President Gustavo Petro swiftly backtracked on his refusal to accept deportation flights from the United States after President Donald Trump threatened tariffs and other measures.
The White House confirmed on Sunday that Colombia’s president had caved “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,”
“Based on this agreement, the fully drafted IEEPA tariffs and sanctions will be held in reserve, and not signed, unless Colombia fails to honor this agreement,” the statement said. “The visa sanctions issued by the State Department, and enhanced inspections from Customs and Border Protection, will remain in effect until the first planeload of Colombian deportees is successfully returned.”
Colombia cannot simply reject its citizens being repatriated from another country. That’s basic international relations and aside from attempting to posture for the sake of posturing, there was no reason to try something this cute.
The White House calls it a “cave” which is a term intended to add insult to injury to President Petro’s bruised ego:
The White House confirmed on Sunday that Colombia’s president had caved “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,”
“Based on this agreement, the fully drafted IEEPA tariffs and sanctions will be held in reserve, and not signed, unless Colombia fails to honor this agreement,” the statement said. “The visa sanctions issued by the State Department, and enhanced inspections from Customs and Border Protection, will remain in effect until the first planeload of Colombian deportees is successfully returned.”
What did they think was going to happen? That Trump was just going to accept flights of Colombian illegals back into the U.S. and beg for cooperation? That time of American inferiority and submissiveness is over. Petro, for what it’s worth, is simply another Marxist in a long line of Central and South American left-wing dictators running their countries into the ground for the cause of socialism.
This is the kind of episode that makes you wonder what exactly our leaders have been doing for the past several decades. Why have we let these countries, all of whom depend on the United States for economic activity, dictate our immigration policy?
Just another slow Sunday afternoon on the golf course for Donald Trump, as Collin Rugg notes:
Breakdown of today’s Colombia news:
> Colombia abruptly rejects two military flights carrying illegals after previously approving them.
> Trump goes golfing at Trump National Doral Golf Club in Miami.
> Trump sends out a post on Truth, imposing 25% tariffs on Colombia.
> Colombia quickly responds and offers up the presidential plane to help repatriate deportees.
> Trump posts an AI photo of himself with the text ‘FAFO’
A very eventful Sunday.
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