Trump may want to check with Colombia about his supposed victory
Two Colombian air force jets carrying migrants deported from the U.S. landed in the Andean nation early Tuesday, its government said, meaning the White House’s earlier declaration that Colombia acceded to all of President Donald Trump’s demands was a farce.
In a social media post, Colombian President Gustavo Petro shared two photos of himself and the migrants on the country’s aircrafts.
“Our compatriots come from the US free, dignified, without being handcuffed,” he wrote, according to an English translation. “The migrant is not a criminal, he is a free human person.”
News that the migrants were transported back to Colombia via air force plane and not using U.S. military planes suggests that the South American nation didn’t acquiesce to all of the president’s demands.
After Trump threatened the country with hefty tariffs, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Sunday that Colombia had accepted “all of President Trump’s terms,” including deporting the migrants “on U.S. military aircraft, without limitation or delay.”
But as the BBC reports, “Diplomats from both countries reached a deal which has seen Colombia send its own air force planes to collect the migrants” (emphasis added).
This move gave Petro more control over the way Colombian citizens were returned home—which was what he wanted the entire time. Petro had argued that using American military jets was inhumane and that the migrants shouldn’t be treated like criminals.
Trump, however, was adamant that the immigrants be returned and expressed annoyance at Petro’s demands. Early on Sunday, when the Colombian president refused to let two U.S. military planes carrying migrants land, Trump threatened the nation with 25% tariffs.
According to Bloomberg, which cited a U.S. official familiar with the Trump administration’s plans, the White House still expects to use military flights “on an as-needed basis” to deport people to Colombia over the next few weeks.
The Trump administration has long said it plans to deport undocumented immigrants from the U.S. But the episode between the U.S. and Colombia shows just how low Trump will go to achieve that goal. Not only did he threaten the nation with hefty tariffs, but he also promised “Visa Sanctions” and “A Travel Ban and immediate Visa Revocations” on Columbian government officials and their allies.
A trade war with the United States would’ve devastated Colombia. The U.S. is historically the nation’s top trading partner. But Americans would’ve suffered too, and items such as fresh-cut flowers and coffee would’ve likely gotten more expensive.
What this newly reported flight arrangement suggests, though, is that both sides gave a little, despite Trump claiming complete victory on the matter. But, as Bloomberg noted, the entire incident reflects a well-worn playbook Trump is known to use: Stake out a radical and maximalist negotiation position that creates a crisis, resolve said crisis, then claim total victory for solving the crisis—no matter what the real truth is.