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Colombia agrees to take deported migrants after Trump threatens tariffs

A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:

The White House is claiming victory in a deportation showdown between the United States and Colombia. As John Otis reports from Bogota, the two countries threatened each other with terrorists before Colombia backed down.

JOHN OTIS, BYLINE: On Sunday, the Trump administration tried to send two military aircraft loaded with 160 deportees back to Colombia. But when the planes were already in the air, Colombian president Gustavo Petro revoked their landing rights. Trump responded by threatening to impose 25% tariffs on Colombian imports, financial sanctions and visa restrictions on Colombian government officials.

ADAM ISACSON: It looks like Trump is trying to make an example of Colombia for all countries that might be reluctant to take these planes.

OTIS: That's Adam Isacson of the Washington Office on Latin America, which advocates for human rights in the Americas. He points out that Trump has also sparred with Mexico and has threatened to seize the Panama Canal.

ISACSON: Trump, especially with the Americas, seems to be choosing bullying and humiliation as one of the central tactics in order to get his way.

OTIS: Until recently, the left wing Petro government had been cooperating with the U.S. Last year, according to U.S. Government figures, Colombia accepted 124 deportation flights. However, those were civilian flights. Now Trump is using military aircraft and there have been complaints of mistreatment. Last week, deported Brazilians arrived home in handcuffs and were subjected to, quote, "degrading treatment," according to the Brazilian government.

In a post on X, Petro said he would not accept deportation flights until migrants are treated with respect. And, after learning of Trump's sanctions, Petro announced reciprocal tariffs on U.S. imports and said in a message to Trump, quote, "your blockade doesn't frighten me." But apparently, Petro had second thoughts. The U.S. tariffs would have affected coffee, flowers and more than 11,000 other Colombian goods.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

LUIS GILBERTO MURILLO: (Non-English language).

OTIS: Late Sunday night, Colombian Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo announced that the impasse was over and that the country would, in fact, continue to receive deportation flights. The White House claimed Colombia had agreed to all of Trump's terms, including the use of military aircraft for deportation. Isaacson pointed out that Colombia has been Washington's most loyal ally in Latin America for the past quarter century.

ISACSON: You need Colombia's cooperation on the fight against cocaine. They're a key trading partner, long-standing military cooperation.

OTIS: That's why, he said, blowing up bilateral relations over immigration makes little sense. For NPR News, I'm John Otis in Bogota, Colombia. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

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