Trump's 'Deportation Tariff' First Negotiation Colombia 'Transfer to China' Possible
Colombia, South America, which is the first to confront US President Trump's strategy of retaliatory tariffs on deporting illegal immigrants, has announced that it can 'transfer to China' in the US market.
When the Colombian President responded by 'blocking entry into the airspace' to the deportation of handcuffed deportees on a US military aircraft, President Trump brought up retaliatory tariffs, and the US Republican Party and the former Colombian President, who was in a pro-US government, negotiated closely and transferred them on a Colombian military aircraft on the 28th.
On the 26th, when the discord between President Trump and President Petro reached its peak, Chinese Ambassador to Colombia Zhu Jingyang announced on social media X that "the two countries are having the best time in diplomatic relations." The ambassador wrote in an interview, “As Foreign Minister Murillo said during his visit to China in October last year, we are in the best moment of diplomatic relations between China and Colombia, the years that have passed since their establishment have now reached 45 years.”
The New York Times, which covered the 26th incident where the two sides were negotiating urgently, cited an expert and said, “If the two countries impose tariffs, Colombia could suffer more damage than the United States, but if they alienate Colombia, which is an important asset for American business, they could get closer to China, Colombia’s second-largest trading partner, which is expanding throughout Latin America.” The two countries finally decided on a compromise plan where the U.S. would transfer the department in charge from the Department of Defense to the Department of Homeland Security and transport the people without handcuffs or photographs, and transport them on military transport planes sent by Colombia and planes operated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The Trump administration’s bold attempts at deportation and aggressive threats of retaliatory tariffs have created a negotiation pattern among the U.S.’s neighbors and allies, and China’s presence in Central and South America has been newly highlighted. On the 27th, immediately after the agreement, Colombian President Garcia-Peña stated, "I hope that the relationship between the United States and Colombia will continue and prosper throughout the new administration," but on the morning of the 29th, he blocked the entry into the airspace, saying, "The United States cannot treat Colombian immigrants like criminals. We will withdraw permission for US military aircraft to land in Colombia."
The US Republican Party, which supported pro-American regimes in South America, and the right-wing regime of the current president, who were pro-American, were fully mobilized on the 26th, and a mediation plan was presented.
The United States is Colombia's largest trading partner, and most of its major industries, including oil, coffee, and flowers, depend on the US market.
The offensive by the pro-American opposition in Colombia on the retaliatory tariffs turned into a strategic negotiation, and on the evening of the 26th, the White House announced that “the Colombian government has agreed to accept all deportation aircraft, including military aircraft,” and the Colombian Foreign Ministry immediately announced that “the deadlock has been overcome.”
Colombian Ambassador to the United States Daniel García-Peña, who participated in the negotiations in the Colombian capital Bogotá, told the NYT that “despite the difficulties we have experienced, it is proof that diplomatic channels continue to be the best way to resolve differences.”
In the first deadlock, the Trump administration directly contacted Gustavo Bolívar, the minister in charge of social welfare programs in the Petro administration, to pressure economic sanctions and retaliatory tariffs.
“After President Trump’s retaliatory measures, President Trump contacted me,” Bolívar told the NYT, “concerned that economic sanctions would harm Colombian businesses.”
Including right-wing leaders Uribe, who has long been at odds with the current president, who was elected as a leftist. At least three former presidents were also involved in the negotiations.
An official familiar with the case told the Times that Uribe “called Foreign Minister Sarabia and said, ‘We have a difference of opinion with President Petro. He made a mistake. But we have to resolve this. How can we help you?’”
Shortly after the case was resolved, Brazil’s leftist President Lula da Silva announced on the 27th that he would set up a reception center for deportees from the United States.
Brazil’s Foreign Ministry said on the 27th that he had summoned a senior U.S. diplomat to discuss the deportation of Brazilian immigrants.
The Associated Press reported on the 28th that “President Lula da Silva has ordered the establishment of a humanitarian reception center in Confins, a municipality in the state of Minas Gerais,” Brazil’s Human Rights and Civil Rights Minister Macaé Evaristo told reporters in the capital Brasilia.
Reuters reported that “the Brazilian government said it would demand an explanation from U.S. authorities for the so-called ‘degrading treatment’ of Brazilians on deportation flights on the 25th,” adding that “the Brazilian deportees were handcuffed and They arrived in Brazil and told local media that they were treated unfairly during the flight, including physical abuse and denial of bathroom breaks,” the AP reported on the 28th.
Reuters continued, “On the 25th, 88 Brazilians and 16 U.S. security personnel were on board the plane, which was originally scheduled to arrive in Belo Horizonte, southeastern Minas Gerais state, but made an unscheduled stop in Manaus, the capital of Amazonas state, due to technical difficulties, and Brazilian officials ordered the removal of handcuffs.” “President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva also designated a Brazilian Air Force plane to complete the migrants’ journey.”
The AP said in a statement that Brazil’s Foreign Ministry was seeking answers from Washington about the recent “degrading treatment” of its citizens during the flight, citing “the use of handcuffs and chains, the poor condition of the aircraft, and a broken air conditioning unit.”
Korean media outlets reported it as ‘Colombia’s white flag’.
SBS reported on the 27th as <Rejecting deportation and then retaliating en masse… Colombia’s white flag in 9 hours>.