Colombia has offered to cover the costs of deporting its citizens from the United States in a “dignified” manner, the foreign ministry announced on Friday.
The proposal follows a diplomatic row between Presidents Gustavo Petro and Donald Trump over migrant removals, which led to threats of major trade tariffs and visa restrictions by the US.
Petro had refused to allow US military planes to return Colombian migrants, criticising their treatment in shackles and handcuffs.
Diplomatic Shift
Colombia’s foreign ministry stated it had proposed to Trump’s special envoy, Mauricio Claver-Carone, that Bogotá would “immediately assume the transfer of all citizens deported by the United States.”
Petro insisted his government would not permit expelled migrants to travel in handcuffs.
While the Trump administration initially imposed sanctions, the White House later backtracked, claiming Bogotá had accepted its terms.
This week, Colombian military and civilian aircraft repatriated the first groups of deportees. According to Petro, hundreds of Colombians, including children, returned in “dignified” conditions, with none confirmed as criminals.
Colombia expects around 27,000 deportations in the coming months, based on orders signed by the Trump and Biden administrations.
Trump has vowed to launch the largest deportation campaign in US history, targeting millions of undocumented immigrants, many from Latin America.
The US remains Colombia’s largest trade partner and has provided millions in aid for anti-drug and counterterrorism efforts over the decades.
