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<a class="gmail-domain gmail-reader-domain" href="https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/colombia-turns-away-two-us-military-flights-with-deportees">english.almayadeen.net</a>
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<h1 class="gmail-reader-title">Colombia turns away two US military flights with deportees</h1>
<div class="gmail-credits gmail-reader-credits">Al Mayadeen English</div>
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<div class="gmail-reader-estimated-time">January 26, 2025<br></div>
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<div class="gmail-moz-reader-content gmail-reader-show-element"><div id="gmail-readability-page-1" class="gmail-page"><p>The decision mirrors that of Mexico, which declined a request last week to allow a US military aircraft to land with migrants.</p><div><ul id="gmail-content-slick-0"><div aria-hidden="false"><li>
<a href="https://alpha-en-media.almayadeen.net/media/image/2025/1/26/3c413611-26e0-475a-98b6-2f59f007d80a.png?width=1000" tabindex="0"><img src="https://alpha-en-media.almayadeen.net/media/image/2025/1/26/3c413611-26e0-475a-98b6-2f59f007d80a.png?width=1000&preset=w700" alt="Colombia turns away two US military flights with deportees" class="gmail-moz-reader-block-img"></a>
A US customs and border protection agent watches as
undocumented immigrants are loaded onto a military plane in Arizona on
January 23, 2025 (<em>AP</em>)
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<p>Colombia turned away two US military planes carrying migrants
deported as part of President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown on
Sunday, according to a US official, in at least the second instance of a
Latin American country blocking US military deportation flights.</p>
<p>Colombian President Gustavo Petro denounced the practice, claiming it
treated migrants as criminals. In a post on X, he said his country
would welcome <a href="https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/trump-signs-executive-order-to-halt-illegal-immigration-thro">deported migrants back</a> on civilian flights, asserting that they should be treated with decency.</p>
<p>The decision mirrors that of <a href="https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/mexico-border-cities-mobilize-shelters-amid-trump-s-deportat">Mexico</a>, which declined a request last week to allow a US military aircraft to land with migrants.</p>
<p>"The U.S. cannot treat Colombian migrants as criminals," Petro wrote,
noting that there were 15,660 Americans with improper immigration
status in Colombia.</p>
<p>Petro's words add to the increased concern in Latin America as <a href="https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/trump-to-use-military-force-for-mass-deportation-of-migrants">Trump's government prepares for mass deportations</a>.</p>
<p>Late on Saturday, Brazil's foreign ministry decried the "degrading
treatment" of Brazilian migrants after they were shackled aboard a
commercial deportation aircraft amid reports of abuse onboard.</p>
<p>According to Brazil's federal police, the commercial charter aircraft
carrying 88 Brazilians was the second from the US this year and the
first since Trump took office.</p>
<p>This is the first time recently that US military planes have been
used to carry migrants out of the nation, according to a US official. On
Friday, US military planes flew to Guatemala twice, each flight
carrying around 80 migrants.</p>
<p><span>The move underscores the Trump administration's <a href="https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/trump-to-intensify-immigration-enforcement-shortly-after-ina">firm stance on immigration</a></span>. <span>According to previous reports by</span><span> </span><em>Reuters</em><span>,
Trump is expected to mobilize government agencies nationwide to achieve
record deportation numbers, building on his first-term efforts to
leverage all available resources and pressure so-called "sanctuary"
jurisdictions into compliance.</span></p>
<h2><span>Trump sanctions Colombia after defiance</span></h2>
<p>US President Donald Trump issued broad tariffs and sanctions on
Colombia on Sunday in punishment for the country's refusal to accept
deportation planes.</p>
<p>Trump, who has been back in office for less than a week, has
announced that he will put 25% tariffs on Colombian imports, which will
grow to 50% in a week.</p>
<p>His right to do so was questionable, considering Colombia, long one
of Washington's closest friends in Latin America, has a free-trade pact
with the US.</p>
<p>Trump also stated that he would immediately cancel visas for
Colombian government officials and "supporters" of President Gustavo
Petro, as well as subject Colombians to stricter airport screening.</p>
<p>On his social media platform Truth, Trump wrote this was "just the
beginning," adding that the US would 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!"</p></div></div></div>
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