Colombian President Forces U.S. Concessions on Deportation Flights

Gustavo Petro secures humane treatment for deportees, rejecting Trump’s military flights and reshaping the narrative on U.S.-Colombia relations.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro successfully negotiated changes to U.S. deportation practices, ensuring migrants are treated with dignity and transported on Colombian planes instead of U.S. military aircraft.
Petro rejected the arrival of U.S. military deportation flights carrying shackled migrants, demanding humane conditions for their return to Colombia.
The diplomatic standoff included reciprocal tariff threats and broader tensions, with Trump initially attempting to coerce compliance through economic measures.
Despite U.S. media framing the outcome as a Colombian concession, Petro’s stance led to significant U.S. concessions on deportation conditions and methods.
The incident highlights growing regional resistance to U.S. immigration policies and underscores Petro’s leadership in challenging Trump’s approach to Latin America.