Gustavo Petro said on X that the United States should not treat Colombian migrants as criminals and that he had already turned away U.S. military flights carrying deportees.According to The New York Times, Colombian President Gustavo Petro stated on X that the United States must establish a dignified protocol before his country will allow the return of Colombian migrants. He also declared that Colombia will not accept deportation flights from the United States until the Trump administration treats Colombian migrants with “dignity and respect.” This stance puts Colombia at odds with President Trump’s recent executive orders and plans for mass deportations.
Mr. Petro further explained that Colombia has already turned away military planes carrying Colombian deportees and will only allow civilian planes to land. He emphasized that migrants should not be treated as criminals and that their return should be done with dignity and respect for both the migrants and Colombia.
It is unclear if Colombia has the legal authority to turn away its own citizens or how many deportation flights it has received in the past. The U.S. Embassy in Bogotá has not yet responded to requests for comment.
Mr. Petro’s statement was in response to reports from a local news outlet about Brazil’s complaints of inhumane treatment of deported migrants. This comes as countries around the world are grappling with how to handle the mass deportations of illegal immigrants that President Trump has promised.
On Friday, two military jets carrying deported migrants landed in Guatemala City, making it one of the first countries to have an agreement with the United States to receive deported citizens on U.S. Air Force jets. However, it is not clear how many countries will be willing to cooperate with the United States on this issue.
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