Correspondent of South America
Less than a week in its Presidency, Donald Trump encouraged his first international tariff dispute. And the goal is not China, Mexico or Canada – the frequent subjects of his Irea – this is Colombia, one of the closest American allies in South America.
The Colombian offense refused to allow two American flights transported by deported migrants to the ground because they were military, not civilian, traffic planes. It seems that it was enough to encourage Trump to drop the hammer.
“We will not allow the Colombian Government to violate its legal obligations given the acceptance and return of the criminals they forced to the United States,” Trump announced on his website on social networks.
In addition to the 25% of the tariff, which he said he would impose, Trump said that he would now introduce a ban on travel and “immediate visa recalls” to Colombian government officials, as well as his allies and supporters.
For his first week in power, the US president seemed to prioritize executive measures on immigration due to trade measures – even if the latter were a key promise of the campaign. It is as if he will drive that point home, his first major announced tariffs are brought to punish the nation, which he thinks has not sufficiently supported new American immigration policies.
On the day Trump had no public appearances – he was in his resort in Miami after allegedly playing the morning circle of golf – the president decided to make an example of Colombia.
Equally serves a warning for us allies and opponents: If you do not work with the US, the consequences will be difficult.
This is a great challenge for Colombia, but it’s also a test for a new Trump administration.
If its sanctions lead to higher prices for US consumers, will the US public facility? Will it be willing to tolerate some financial pain arising to improve Trump immigration priorities?
The US imports about 27% of Colombia coffee, according to the US Ministry of Agriculture, as well as other goods such as bananas, raw oil, avocado and flowers. Coffee imports are worth almost $ 2 billion (£ 1.6 billion).
Importers could move to other sources to avoid this, which would hit Colombian manufacturers by reducing the key market.
The Colombian President Gustavo reacted quickly on Sunday afternoon, launching his own retaliation in the word war.
It is no secret that Petro does not like Donald Trump – in the past he strongly criticized his policies about migration and the environment. That just withdrew.
In a long response to X, he said Trump “erase the human species for greed” and accused the US president of considering the Colombians an “inferior race”.
Petro continued to describe himself as a “stubborn” and said that even though Trump could try to “spend a coup” with “economic strength and arrogance”, he would shortly return.
It seems that Petro not only threatened his own retaliated tariffs, but most importantly said: “From today, Colombia is open to the whole world, with open hands.”
Although Trump is unlikely to threaten Colombia, this should be taken care of by the US president who wants to fight migration. His officials of incoming administration made it clear that the mission would need to be viewed outside the border with Mexico.
Trump’s choice for Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau has long claimed that “working with other countries to stop such migration flows” must be a “global imperative of US foreign policy.” Sunday showers can make together much less likely.
Tens of thousands of migrants every year from all over the world, from India to China, move north to the United States after landing in South America and traveling through Colombia through the Darien Gapa Gap-Kljenje point, north of Panama Colombia. It is a dangerous journey that usually facilitates criminal gangs.
The reconciliation measures will no doubt make it difficult for Trump’s administration to work with Colombia to stop this pattern.
President Petro alluded to this in his response to Trump’s procedures, noting that if the suspension, if conversations on migration management through Darien, “illegal activities will increase.” These comments could be viewed as a concealed threat of more unfathomrated migrants on the way.
Petro quickly said that his country would not refuse Colombian nationals deported from the US – just that they had to get “dignified treatment”. He even offered the use of his presidential aircraft as an alternative means of transportation.
According to high US officials, however, talking about CBS background, US partner BBC, this is not enough to avoid sanctions.
Yet, despite the Sunday of High Drama, there seems to be a way to remove the escalation of this sudden diplomatic opposition-which ego and national pride do not calm down.
But such tariffs are a test of will. And, out of appearance, this is just Trump’s introductory move.
