SOURCE-FOXNEWS-Colombian President Gustavo Petro offered his presidential plane to repatriate migrants coming back from the U.S. on Sunday in response to stern warnings made by President Donald Trump.
In a statement translated from Spanish, the Colombian government said that the plane will help facilitate a “dignified return.”
“The Government of Colombia, under the direction of President Gustavo Petro, has arranged the presidential plane to facilitate the dignified return of the compatriots who were going to arrive in the country today in the morning, coming from deportation flights,” the translated statement read.
“This measure responds to the Government’s commitment to guarantee decent conditions.”
President Donald Trump issued stark warnings to Colombian President Gustavo Petro over the weekend. (Getty Images)
The move came after Trump hit the South American country with retaliatory measures in response to Petro’s refusal to accept deportation flights.
This weekend, American officials sent two flights of Colombian illegal aliens as part of Trump’s ongoing deportation program. Petro rejected the flights, writing that the U.S. cannot “treat Colombian migrants as criminals.”
“I deny the entry of American planes carrying Colombian migrants into our territory,” Petro said. “The United States must establish a protocol for the dignified treatment of migrants before we receive them.”
Colombian President Gustavo Petro speaks at the International Workers’ Day march in Bogota, Colombia, Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
In response, Trump unleashed a slew of punishments, including ordering a 25% tariff on all goods coming into the U.S. from Colombia.
The tariff would rise to 50% after one week, Trump said. The president also ordered a travel ban and visa revocations for all Colombian government officials, plus “allies and supporters.”
Former President Donald Trump headlines a Republican National Committee spring donor retreat, in Palm Beach, Florida on May 4, 2024 (Donald Trump 2024 campaign)
“These measures are just the beginning. We will not allow the Colombian Government to violate its legal obligations with regard to the acceptance and return of the Criminals they forced into the United States!” Trump warned.
Fox News Digital’s Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.
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In what way did he cave?
God bless the big, bad and mighty America. We cant do without them. Look how the threat of visa make them buckle.
Donald Trump is doing the very same thing that immigration here is doing with illegal immigrants so why complain .
Exact!
This double-standard needs to stop.
PRESIDENT PETRO WILTED: …UNDER TARIFF PRESSURE
Well, an apparent ‘…PLAYING TOUGH PRESIDENT PETRO,’ clearly ‘…WILTED UNDER TRUMP’S TARIFF PRESSURE’ [Paragraph 1].
***
CIVILITY AND DIGNITY:
From the ‘…PRESIDENT’S’ response, it not only speaks to a ‘…CIVILITY,’ but also a ‘…MOST DIGNIFIED WAY IN TREATING HIS OWN PEOPLE,’ irrespective of status.
***
EXCEPT THE ‘USA,’ THE ‘…PRESIDENT’S PLANE’ BELONG TO ALL OF THEM.
***
Hon.Gaston Brown. Please stop issuing of work permits to immigrants coming into Antigua as well. We have people from all across the world taking the top jobs while Antiguans catching hell. In the hotel industry we send our children to universities across the world, including even from the Pm scholarship programs. We have scores of Antiguans, young people with degrees in the hotel industry and are still offered receptionist jobs . On the other hand the expats or none Antiguans start with trainee and duty managers positions.
You went at Sandals about tipping, which to me was an internal policy matter. To ensure all guests are treated equally- those that have to tip and those that save to come for a holiday and don’t have to tip. As the leader of the country you need to pick better fights. You need to fight for the young people that are returning home. That they should be given first preference to top quality and high paying jobs. White people are looking out for white people. They look out for their own qualified or not. The Syrians are looking out for each other they have taken over St.Johns. Antiguans are reduced to vending. The Chinese are looking out for each other as well and we all know well finance by their government. The hotels are bringing in workers and displacing Antiguans. The Royaltons are a typical example. Calling on Antiguans to love and support each other and stop supporting these hotels that are not supporting Antiguans. The other hotel owner, with the supermarkets – they are now bringing in workers from the Philippines- packing shelves, cleaning, maintenance you name it. The Antiguans are left to carry the wood and water still in this country.
So with this massive deportation happening from the USA. We need to stop accepting people coming here for so called vacation and not returning. We are going to have an increase of this from the other Caribbean countries and South America. We need to start preparing for our own families returning. They are not criminals. Antiguans have not migrated to other Caribbean countries. They have migrated to the USA and served them well and us here by supporting . So let’s make room to receive them in a dignified way .
Between 2009 and 2015 Obama deported over 2 million people and it wasn’t even realized by most people. This is something that ICE does everyday, but because of the high publicity, and camera’s following them on every move, even to the planes and the media houses across the world it’s now the big focus.
Let’s see how many we get back and if our media will keep us up to date.
Antigua would never have a problem like that. Ebry single Antiguan an Barbudan living in Merikka is legal. This government shouldn’t fear any mass deportation and of Antiguan criminals returning home. As I said, no Antiguan there is illegal. By the way, why are people upset with Trump’s actions? Don’t Caribbean people complain everyday about the number of black Caribbean people lining in their country? And want the government to get them out? Whether they legal or not? What a hypocritical world we live in.