Trump strikes Colombia with retaliatory measures for rejecting deportation flights

United States President Donald Trump has pushed back against Colombian President Gustavo Petro for rejecting deportation flights from the US to land in his country.

Trump claimed that Petro’s denial of those flights has jeopardised the national security and public safety of the United States.

Fox News reports that the President said his administration will not allow the Colombian government to violate its legal obligations with regard to the acceptance and return of criminals they forced into the United States.

“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 among his people,” Trump wrote on social media on Sunday.

“Petro’s denial of these flights has jeopardised the national security and public safety of the United States, so I have directed my administration to immediately take urgent and decisive retaliatory measures, including emergency tariffs on all goods coming into the United States, which will be raised to 50% in one week. There will also be a travel ban and immediate visa revocations on Colombian government officials, as well as visa sanctions on their party members, family members, and supporters. Additionally, enhanced Customs and Border Protection inspections of all Colombian nationals and cargo will be conducted on national security grounds, and IEEPA Treasury, banking, and financial sanctions will be fully imposed,” Trump wrote.

Trump strikes Colombia with retaliatory measures for rejecting deportation flights