Colombia sanctions postponed following deportation agreement, the White House confirms

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United States President Donald Trump’s threats of retaliatory measures against Colombia will not be imposed, the White House said, after the South American country agreed to accept military aircraft carrying deported migrants.

Trump had threatened tariffs, sanctions and travel bans after Colombia turned away two US military aircraft with migrants being deported.

Trump said the action by Colombian President Gustavo Petro jeopardised US national security and he had directed his administration to take retaliatory measures.

But in a statement late on Sunday (local time), the White House said Colombia had agreed to accept the migrants after all and Washington would not impose its threatened penalties.

“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 US military aircraft, without limitation or delay,” it said.

Draft orders imposing tariffs and sanctions on Colombia would be “held in reserve, and not signed, unless Colombia fails to honor this agreement”, it added.

In a statement late on Sunday, Colombian foreign minister Luis Gilberto Murillo said: “We have overcome the impasse with the US government.”

“The government of Colombia … has the presidential plane ready to facilitate the return of Colombians who were going to arrive in the country this morning on deportation flights.”

The draft measures included imposing 25 per cent tariffs on all Colombian goods coming into the US, which would go up to 50 per cent in one week; a travel ban and visa revocations on Colombian government officials; and emergency treasury, banking and financial sanctions.

Trump also said he would also direct enhanced border inspections of Colombian nationals and cargo.

A State Department spokesperson said the United States had suspended visa processing at the US embassy in Bogota.

Colombia is the third largest US trading partner in Latin America, while the US is Colombia’s largest trading partner.

Colombia will facilitate ‘dignified return’

Colombia’s initial refusal to accept the flights was the second case of a Latin American nation refusing US military deportation flights.

It followed a decision by Mexico, which refused a request last week to let a US military aircraft land with migrants.

President Trump's promise of mass deportations looming image

Petro earlier condemned the military deportation flights and said he would never carry out a raid to return handcuffed Americans to the US.

“We are the opposite of the Nazis,” he wrote in a post on social media platform X.

But he also said Colombia would welcome home deported migrants on civilian planes, and offered his presidential plane to facilitate their “dignified return”.

Trump’s national border emergency

Trump declared illegal immigration a national emergency and imposed a sweeping crackdown since taking office last Monday.

He directed the US military to help with border security, issued a broad ban on asylum and took steps to for children born on US soil.

Trump has said he is thinking about imposing 25 per cent duties on imports from Canada and Mexico on 1 February to force further action against illegal immigrants and fentanyl flowing into the US.