Why Did Colombian President Gustavo Petro take a U-Turn within hrs after Donald Trump’s tariff call?

Jan 27, 2025

New Delhi, January 27 (ANI): Hours after denying the touchdown of two American deportation flights in the country, Colombia has now taken a U-turn. Colombian President Gustavo Petro offered his presidential plane to repatriate migrants from the United States which is on an aggressive mission to expulse illegal migrants soon after the regime change at the White House. Soon after, the American military aircraft with migrants were denied docking at the Colombian airport, the United States President Donald Trump wasted no time in responding. In retaliation, he announced a range of punitive measures, including a 25% tariff on all Colombian goods entering the US, set to increase to 50% in just one week. The response also included travel bans, visa revocations for Colombian officials, and emergency financial sanctions targeting Colombia’s treasury and banking systems. The diplomatic tension didn't stop there. Colombia, the third-largest US trading partner in Latin America, swiftly retaliated by threatening a 50% tariff on US goods. It is noteworthy that Mexico also refused a request last week to let a US military aircraft land with migrants but no similar action was taken against the already terrorised nation that is the United States’ largest trading partner. The exemption of Mexico from such retaliatory is seen as the motivation behind Colombia acting in an un-contemplative way. However, the deprecation of the Mexican peso and the surge in the dollar amid threats, forced President Petro to cave to Donald Trump, eventually offering his presidential plane to facilitate the repatriation of migrants from the United States.