The Colombian Government's Recent Issues With The United States Have Been Settled

(MENAFN- Newsroom Panama) The Colombian government on Sunday declared that it had overcome the“impasse” that provoked a diplomatic crisis with the United States, caused by the decision of President Gustavo Petro not to allow the entry of two planes with citizens deported from the United States until these people receive“dignified” treatment. “We have overcome the impasse with the United States government,” said Colombian Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo (pictured above), reading a statement at a press conference in the company of Ambassador to Washington Daniel García-Peña; Foreign Minister-designate Laura Sarabia; Deputy Foreign Minister Jorge Rojas; and Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism Luis Carlos Reyes. Murillo added that, in this context, he and Ambassador García-Peña“will travel to Washington in the coming days to hold high-level meetings to follow up on the agreements resulting from the joint work that led to the exchange of diplomatic notes between the two governments.” “We will continue to welcome Colombians who return as deportees, guaranteeing them dignified conditions as citizens with rights,” Murillo added in the statement.

Pictured above, Colombian President Gustavo Petro's decision not to allow the entry of two planes carrying Colombian citizens deported from the United States until those people receive“dignified” treatment led his American counterpart, Donald Trump, to order the imposition of 25% tariffs on all Colombian products and announced that in a week“they will be raised to 50%.” The US president also announced travel restrictions and visa revocations for officials of Petro's government and his party, possible economic sanctions against the country and“inspections” of Colombian citizens and goods arriving in the United States. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered the“immediate suspension of visa issuance in the consular section of the U.S. Embassy in Bogotá” starting this Monday, a measure that harms thousands of people who had their appointment scheduled months or even years ago.

Petro responded with the principle of reciprocity and ordered the Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, Luis Carlos Reyes, to“raise import tariffs from the United States by 25%” as well as to look for other destinations for national products. In the statement, the Colombian government reiterated Petro's instruction to make available“the presidential plane to facilitate the return of the compatriots who were to arrive in the country today in the morning on deportation flights.” “Colombia confirms that diplomatic channels of dialogue will be maintained to guarantee the rights, national interest and dignity of our citizens,” concluded the Colombian statement. The US government, for its part, assured in a statement published in Washington, alongside Murillo's declaration, that the tariffs promised by Trump against Colombian imports and the sanctions“will not be signed, unless Colombia does not honor this agreement.” “Visa restrictions issued by the State Department and enhanced Customs and Border Protection inspections will remain in effect until the first planeload of Colombian deportees successfully returns,” White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt added.

CELAC Calls for an Urgent Meeting due to Tensions between Colombia and the US

Amid tensions between Colombia and the United States over the deportation of irregular migrants, the pro tempore president of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), Xiomara Castro, called for an urgent meeting with member states. The meeting was scheduled for Thursday, January 30 in Tegucigalpa at 11:00 am (Honduras time). Topics to be discussed include migration, the environment, and Latin American and Caribbean unity. According to Castro, the president of Honduras, the Colombian president Gustavo Petro confirmed his attendance.

Xiomara Castro, President of Honduras.

The diplomatic crisis broke out after Petro refused to allow the entry of two planes carrying citizens deported from the United States on Sunday, as long as those people do not receive“dignified” treatment. In response to Petro's decision, Donald Trump ordered the imposition of 25% tariffs on all Colombian products and announced that, in a week,“they will be raised to 50%.” He also announced visa restrictions for the Petro government and his party, possible economic sanctions against the country and“inspections” of Colombian citizens and goods arriving in the United States.

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