The Colombian president, Gustavo Petro, released this Tuesday, January 28, two photographs taken inside the planes of the Colombian Air Force that transport to the country a first group of 110 Colombians deported from the United States. In them, they are seen without handcuffs, as the President has defended, who demanded from Washington a "dignified treatment" for them.
“Our compatriots are coming from the U.S. free, dignified, without being handcuffed,” the President stated in a message posted on his X account. This happens two days after a crisis with the United States for having refused to accept two flights with deportees.
The post is accompanied by two photographs showing the deported migrants, some of them wearing masks, listening to one of the Colombian officials accompanying them on the journey.
"We structured a productive, associative, and cheap credit plan for the migrant. The migrant is not a criminal, he is a free human being," adds Petro in his message.
The two planes bringing the deported Colombians departed on Monday bound for San Diego (California) and Houston (Texas). They are expected on the morning of this Tuesday at the Military Base of Catam, adjacent to Bogotá airport.
The Foreign Ministry stated on Monday in a statement that the Government arranged those planes to bring “back home 110 nationals deported from the United States. Complying with the established protocols for dignified return and with guarantees of rights for the nationals arriving on deportation flights.”
Our compatriots are coming from the USA free, dignified, without being handcuffed. We are structuring a productive, associative, and cheap credit plan for migrants
The migrant is not a criminal, he is a free human being. pic.twitter.com/hRbgCELIF6
— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) January 28, 2025
The Colombian President rejected on Sunday at first two planes sent by the U.S. with deportees, which caused a serious diplomatic crisis with that country.
Petro's statement led U.S. President Donald Trump to order the imposition of 25% tariffs on all Colombian products. In addition to other travel and immigration sanctions.
Petro responded with the principle of reciprocity and ordered the Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, Luis Carlos Reyes, "raise the import tariffs from the U.S. by 25%."
However, the White House declared the crisis with Colombia over the repatriations of immigrants by assuring late on Sunday that the Petro Government accepted "all the terms of President Trump" regarding this.
This includes "the unconditional acceptance of all illegal foreigners returned from the United States to Colombia, included on military planes, without limitations or delays."
Meanwhile, the Colombian Government expressed in a statement that the "impasse with the Government of the United States has been overcome." And it said that it made its planes available to the repatriated, as happened in this case.
Trump, I don't really like traveling to the US, it's a bit boring, but I confess there are commendable things, I like going to the black neighborhoods of Washington, there I saw a whole fight in the capital of the US between blacks and Latinos with barricades, which seemed like a nonsense to me,...
— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) January 26, 2025