Trump Announces Immediate Sanctions Against Colombia for Petro’s Refusal To Accept Deportees

US President Donald Trump, after closing visa operations at the US Embassy in Bogotá, Colombia, also announced severe and immediate retaliatory measures against Colombia and its governing administration, headed by President Gustavo Petro (above photo). The move comes on the same day that Petro revoked existing authorization for flights from the US carrying Colombians deported for being in the US illegally.
At approximately 3am Sunday, Colombian President Gustavo Petro issued a tweet encouraging Colombians to “welcome the deportees with flags and flowers,” but then erased it three hours later, and posted a tweet announcing that he was deauthorizing the flights and the aircraft would not be permitted entry into Colombian airspace.
The same day, the US announced that it would be closing the embassy’s visa section in response, effectively halting visa issuance to Colombians and others applying through the consular section.

Trump has announced immediate 50% tariffs, financial sanctions, visa revocations and travel bans against Colombia

Then, Sunday afternoon Trump took to social media with the following message (verbatim):

I was just informed that two repatriation flights from the United States, with a large number of illegal Criminals, were not allowed to land in Colombia. This order was given by Colombia’s Socialist President Gustavo Petro, who is already very unpopular amongst his people. Petro’s denial of these flights has jeopardized the National Security and Public Safety of the United States, so I have directed my Administration to immediately take the following urgent and decisive retaliatory measures:

 Emergency 25% tariffs on all goods coming into the United States. In one week, the 25% tariffs will be raised to 50%.
 A Travel Ban and immediate Visa Revocations on the Colombian Government Officials, and all Allies and Supporters.
 Visa Sanctions on all Party Members, Family Members, and Supporters of the Colombian Government.
 Enhanced Customs and Border Protection Inspections of all Colombian Nationals and Cargo on national security grounds.
 IEEPA Treasury, Banking and Financial Sanctions to be fully imposed.

These measures are just the beginning. We will 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!

Analysis

The fast moving battle between Trump and Petro will have unpredictable, though certainly negative results on bilateral relations. Both Petro and Trump are populists who tend to govern by impulse. This morning Petro himself went from welcoming the deportees to refusing their entry; repatriation flights are routine, and not only have been taking place from the US to Colombia throughout recent history, but Colombia also repatriates and expels both criminals and migrants in the country illegally on a regular basis. If Petro was seeking to make a point, similar to his threat last week to impose visa requirements on British subjects, it seems that he has grossly miscalculated. The US is not only Colombia’s largest trading partner, with a free trade agreement in effect, but Colombia is one of the top five recipient countries globally for US foreign aid and support.

On the other hand, Trump’s retaliation goes far beyond pressuring the Petro administration and will no doubt hurt the most pro-US segment of the Colombian population—those with international ties and trade to and from the US; also the segment of the population where Petro enjoys the weakest support. Most Colombian government officials are civil servants rather than political appointees, and not necessarily allies of Petro. “Enhanced Customs and Border Protection Inspections of all Colombian Nationals and Cargo…” could be interpreted as “hassling travelers and their baggage as they arrive,” which again, will not hurt Petro, nor his base of support among low-income and left-wing Colombians, but will affect the most pro-US / anti-Petro sector of the population, international business and leisure travelers, and those with family ties in the US.

The new crisis pits an impulsive right-wing populist against an impulsive left-wing populist. The only guarantee is that things will move both quickly and loudly.

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See also:

• US Embassy in Colombia Halts Visa Issuance After Colombian President Blocks Deportation Flights

• Colombia Threatens To Impose Visa Requirements On British Tourists & Visitors